Babies on Their Mind
by Cecilia1204
Summary: Bella is a midwife at Forks Hospital. She meets the new obstetrician Edward Cullen and the attraction is powerful and instant. Life in a maternity ward is full of ups and downs. AH/AU - Bella x Edward. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Though my favourite Twilight couple are Jasper and Alice, I've decided to write a Bella & Edward story as a change. **

**This story is dedicated to all those fabulous midwives out there that are truly the unsung heroes to many a woman who's given birth. The doctors often get all the praise but it's the midwives who encourage and support mothers during the whole process. Having had my 3 kids delivered by midwives, I have nothing but praise and admiration for the men and women who choose to follow this path.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any Twilight characters, I just play with them.**

Chapter 1

"Morning, Bella,"

"Hey Jen. How's it going? Busy night?" enquired Bella, putting away her coat and bag in her locker.

"No, it was pretty quiet actually," replied Jenny, putting her feet up as she prepared to give Bella her handover. "There weren't any admissions during the night so all I really had to do was help some of the moms with their breastfeeding issues. I also cuddled a couple of babies so that mom could get a bit of sleep. I love doing that," smiled Jenny.

Bella smiled. "Yeah, that's my favourite bit. Cuddling the bubs."

"So anyway, like I said, not much happening. In a way though, I always feel more tired after a quiet night on the ward than the nights that we're frantic. Isn't that weird?" asked Jenny, stifling a yawn that was threatening to burst forth.

"Not really," replied Bella. "I always feel the same when I'm on nights. It must be the adrenalin of the busy nights that keeps you wide awake. When it's quiet, you just want to curl up in a corner somewhere and go to sleep."

"You're not wrong there," yawned Jenny, unable to fight the inevitable any longer. "Gosh, I'm really ready for bed, I think."

"Why don't you go now?" suggested Bella. "If it's as quiet as you say, I can do anything that needs doing. I don't mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Go home," urged Bella. "We'll just go over anything that you feel I need to know and then you can head off."

Needing her sleep too much to argue, Jenny went over the patient files with Bella, filling her in on any issues that had cropped up during the night.

"Do we have any expected admissions today? Any scheduled caesars?" asked Bella, making a note to check the surgery roster for today.

"Not today, but there are a couple of mom's due any day now so you may get an admission. You know what it's like around here? It can go from peace to bedlam in a few minutes," laughed Jenny, pulling herself up to get her things.

"That's for sure," nodded Bella, getting ready to do her morning rounds. She was about to leave the staff room when Jenny called out to her.

"Oh, I forgot to mention it before but the new obstetrician is starting today," Jenny informed her.

"Today? I thought he was starting next week?" said Bella in mild surprise.

"Dr Cullen told me last night. A change of plans apparently. Anyway, it's better for us if he starts earlier, we need his services," said Jenny.

"True," agreed Bella, knowing the difficulties the hospital board had experienced trying to get another qualified obstetrician in Forks Hospital. "I might see if Dr Cullen is still here and see if he knows anything about the new doctor. I like to be prepared."

Waving goodbye to Jenny, Bella left the staffroom and headed to the small nurses station in the maternity unit. Greeting the nurse already there, Bella grabbed the patient files and prepared to go around the ward to check on the new mothers and their babies.

Bella loved being a midwife. She loved helping mothers deliver their babies safely, and took a special pride in all the babies she had delivered. The magic of watching a small, helpless tiny human being enter the world never failed to instil a sense of awe. She also had the deepest admiration for the mothers who laboured, sometimes for hours or even days, to bring their little bundles into the world. Bella was always moved when a mother held the child she'd carried for nine months within her body for the first time. She hoped that one day, that would be her. Not that it was likely anytime soon. She didn't even have a boyfriend. Not that she was looking.

She had decided to study nursing during her last year of high school but it wasn't until she was in her first year of university that she realised that midwifery was for her. One afternoon, after returning from classes she'd heard a loud moaning coming from the apartment across the landing. Bella knew the woman there was heavily pregnant and rushed over to check on her. Luckily the door had been unlocked and Bella ran in and saw the distressed woman on the floor in a puddle of amniotic fluid, grasping her stomach.

"My baby's coming!" moaned the woman, her face filled with terror for her unborn child.

Suppressing the panic she felt, Bella rang the paramedics and called on her own limited knowledge in an attempt to help her. The woman had taken off her underwear and Bella could see the baby's head crowning. Lord, there wasn't much time. Rushing to the closet, Bella grabbed what towels she could find and rang the paramedics again. She knew this baby wasn't going to wait to get to hospital to be born.

With the help of the person on the phone, Bella helped deliver the baby. The moment she held the little girl, Bella knew she had found her calling. She didn't think any other branch of nursing could give her this much satisfaction. The paramedics had arrived shortly after to see the mother cradling her new baby. Giving her a quick check up, the paramedics had praised Bella's actions, declaring that both mother and baby looked none the worse for their ordeal. So grateful was the woman, that she had named her baby Bella after the young woman who had helped her.

After her initial nurse training, she'd trained as a midwife, returning to her hometown of Forks to work at the local hospital. Bella wanted to work somewhere where she could feel part of the community, and where better than home? She'd been here for three years now and still enjoyed coming to work. No two days were ever the same.

Part of her job as a nurse/midwife was the aftercare of the mothers and babies. Making sure the moms were all recovering well from the rigours of childbirth, that the babies were feeding properly and helping first timers with the sometimes daunting task of caring for their babies. Her favourite part was showing the moms how to bath their babies. She knew it could be a terrifying task as babies were notoriously slippery when wet.

Walking into the first room, she was pleased to see that the occupants were already awake.

"Good morning Mrs Wolfe," she greeted pleasantly. "How are you and little Paul today?" As she spoke, she gently took the baby from his mother's arms and placed him in the crib. "There you go, little man. I'm just going to check your mom out first because she's the one who's been doing all the work around here, then I'll have a look at you," Bella crooned to the tiny baby, who seemed quite content to be left alone.

Turning back to his mother, Bella proceeded to examine her. "And how are you feeling today?" Bella asked as she palpated her stomach, making sure the uterus was contracting as it should.

"Tired," sighed Mrs Wolfe, a Quileute woman in her late twenties. "Paul seems to want to party all night and then decides to sleep all day."

Bella shook her head in sympathy. "Unfortunately babies like to keep their own timetables, which don't often correspond to ours."

"That's for sure," agreed Mrs Wolfe.

"Are you feeding ok? This is your first baby, so it's vital that you get all the help you need and you shouldn't be afraid to ask questions," stressed Bella. "That's what we're here for, ok? How are your nipples? Sore?"

First time moms, and many second and third time moms, often struggled with breastfeeding. The books all made it seem like it was as easy as turning on a tap but if they weren't shown how to latch their babies on properly, they could end up in all sorts of strife, from cracked, bleeding nipples to mastitis, an infection of the milk ducts. These were a major factor in women giving up on breastfeeding. New moms needed all the support and encouragement they could get to help them overcome the early hurdles and successfully breastfeed. Bella was also adamant that no mother who decided that she didn't feel capable of breastfeeding should be made to feel like a failure. She was firmly of the belief that as long as mother and child were happy and healthy and bonding, then that was the important thing.

"Yes, a bit," confirmed Mrs Wolfe. "He seems to latch on all right but they're still sore."

"Do you mind if I have a look?" asked Bella. Nodding her consent, Mrs Wolfe proceeded to open her top and unsnap the hook of her maternity bra. Bella examined the nipples and was satisfied that they were showing only the normal amount of tenderness experienced by a woman who'd only given birth two days ago. "They look fine, Mrs Wolfe. They will be sore at first because you're not used to it. They need to 'toughen up', so to speak, but I'm pretty sure you'll be right in a few days. Once your milk comes in, little Paul won't have to suck so hard and you should be less sore."

"When should my milk come in?" asked Mrs Wolfe, listening intently.

"Usually around the third day after birth," replied Bella. "You'll probably find your breasts are getting fuller and more painful to touch?"

Mrs Wolfe nodded. "Yeah, they hurt a fair bit at the moment. I'm starting to feel like a dairy cow."

Bella laughed. "That's normal. Just make sure you have your breast pads handy because it takes a few weeks to get the routine going where you don't leak milk everywhere."

"Ugh! They don't mention any of this stuff in the books, do they?" said Mrs Wolfe ruefully.

"Not usually," laughed Bella. "I'll give you the number of the local breastfeeding support group when you leave hospital. You can call them at any time for help and advice."

"Thanks, Nurse Swan, I appreciate it."

"Please, call me Bella. Nurse Swan brings to mind some tyrant Matron from the old movies," urged Bella. Both women laughed as Bella's attention moved to the infant.

"Ok, little man. Time to check you out," said Bella gently, unwrapping the baby. She took his temperature first, recording it on his chart before moving to take his nappy off. Little Paul was indignant about having his sleep disturbed and made no bones about it.

"Well, it's your own fault for partying all night," laughed his mother, helping Bella undress him.

Bella agreed. "Yep, your mom's right, you know." She proceeded to check his hips for any clicking noises, wanting to make sure that his hip bones weren't popping out of their sockets. Paul got more and more upset, now screaming his lungs out in protest.

"Ok, ok! I'm finished, poppet. Here, Mom, you can dress him while I write up his notes." When he was dressed, Paul promptly fell asleep again.

"Well, he can't have been too upset, can he?" mused his mother, rocking him in his arms.

"Babies are usually more noise than substance," teased Bella. "Well, he's doing fine. Everything is as it should be. He's lost a little weight but that's normal for newborns. He'll put it back on when your milk comes in. When are you planning to go home?"

"I was hoping maybe tomorrow?" replied Mrs Wolfe tentatively.

"That's fine if you feel up to it," answered Bella. "I'll have to teach you how to bath Paul before you go but the doctor will have the final say on whether to discharge you.

Mrs Wolfe nodded, her tired but adoring eyes on her son. "I'll see you later then. Try and get some rest," advised Bella, leaving the room before filling out her notes, making a note to include Mrs Wolfe on the discharge rounds tomorrow.

Forks General Hospital wasn't large in comparison to some of the hospitals in the major cities but was big enough to accommodate the needs of the population of the Olympic Peninsula. There were only ten women currently in Maternity so Bella didn't take long to see everyone. By the time all the notes were written up, it was mid morning.

The new doctor still hadn't showed up so she decided to go and find Dr Cullen. He was usually in the Emergency Department although as one of the chief doctors at the hospital, he did go around to check on how things were going in the rest of the hospital.

Bella knew Carlisle Cullen quite well. Carlisle had moved to Forks two years ago with his wife Esme and had taken up the position of Head of Emergency. In his middle years, he was still attractive enough to turn heads when he entered the room. Bella had watched many female patients, some in extreme pain, unconsciously smooth their hair down or try to sit up straighter when Dr Cullen walked in. It never failed to amuse her.

And despite his movie star looks, Carlisle Cullen was a fabulous doctor. He was extremely dedicated, knowledgeable and experienced but his best quality was his bedside manner. He was able to make each patient feel special, as if their health was the most important thing in the world. Which to Carlisle Cullen, it was. Everyone, staff and patients, loved him.

His wife Esme was also very highly regarded. She had thrown herself into local committees and was an active fund-raiser for the hospital. Esme was always impeccably dressed but exuded such a warmth that she felt like everyone's mother. She would often turn up at the hospital and bring treats that she had baked for the staff. One had to be quick to get anything. Esme's cooking usually disappeared as if by magic.

Carlisle was also involved in recruiting so Bella knew that he would have information on the new doctor. None of the midwives in Maternity knew anything about the new recruit other than that he was supposed to arrive next week. Bella had intended to get this information so that he could be greeted properly when he arrived but the change of plans meant she needed the info now. It would look rather silly if the new doctor turned up and he was mistaken for one of the fathers.

Entering the Emergency Room waiting area, she spotted Carlisle ushering another patient into the treatment area. Damn, she would have to wait to speak to him as she didn't want to distract Carlisle's attention unless it was an emergency. And you could hardly call this an emergency.

Since it was time for a break anyway, Bella decided to go to the cafeteria and get a latte and hope that Carlisle was free when she got back.

Turning abruptly, she collided with a hard body, her face pressed against a muscular chest. Too stunned by the collision for a moment, Bella didn't move. In that instance, her brain managed to process the fact that the body was tall and male, her nose registering that it smelled heavenly. She unconsciously breathed in deeply.

A pair of hands gripped her shoulders and stepped back, bringing Bella back to reality. Pulling free of his hands, Bella spoke.

"I'm so sorry. I should have looked to see where I was going," she apologised, looking up to the stranger's face.

Oh my Lord, breathed Bella as she took in the man's face. He was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous.

"No, it's my fault," he replied with a smile and Bella's brain turned to mush.

"Ah....no...I did the abrupt u-turn," she insisted.

He smiled, his green eyes taking in her appearance. "How about we're both at fault and call it square, ok?"

Bella could only nod in agreement. With another quick smile, the stranger walked past her and left, leaving her standing there with a stunned look on her face.

Get a grip girl! Bella shook her head to clear her mind. She turned to see where he was but she couldn't see him. He's probably with one of the patients, someone's husband or partner. Bella couldn't remember seeing him around town but he could only be passing through or in the area on business.

Pushing the stranger from her mind, Bella made her way to the cafeteria, grabbing a bagel and a coffee and sat at a table with some other nurses she knew. They chatted for a while, filling Bella in on any hospital gossip she may have missed. Bella just listened. She refused to spread any gossip, even though it was usually rife in the heightened atmosphere of a hospital.

"Hey Bella? Have you met the new obstetrician yet?" asked Sally, a ward nurse.

Bella shook her head. "No, not yet. I was going to see Carlisle and get some information. He's supposed to start today but it's what, 11.30, and I haven't seen any sign of him."

"I hope he's good," remarked another of the nurses.

"Me too," agreed Bella. The previous doctor had been forced to retire after a number of mistakes had been made, disaster narrowly averted by the quick thinking of the midwives on duty. When a mother had nearly haemorrhaged to death, the hospital authorities had stepped in and had given the doctor the option to retire or face disciplinary action.

He had chosen retirement and it had come to light that he had the early signs of Alzheimer's. Since that time, over six months ago, they had had to make do with locums, not an ideal situation. Expectant mothers tended to find it disconcerting to see a new doctor every time they came for a check up.

When Carlisle had informed them that they had found a replacement doctor, all the staff had been relieved, particularly Dr Haas, the other obstetrician on staff, who'd had to carry the extra load of being the sole doctor. Even though the midwives did much of the work, a doctor needed to be on duty in case of emergencies, carry out scheduled caesareans as well as run prenatal and post-natal clinics.

Carlisle, uncharacteristically for him, hadn't given them any information on the new doctor, only when he was supposed to arrive. And that had changed as well.

Finishing her coffee, Bella waved everyone goodbye and headed back to the Emergency Department. She was carrying her beeper so the ward could contact her if she was needed.

Walking into the waiting area again, Bella couldn't help looking around to see if the man was there. Feeling silly at the slight disappointment she felt, Bella went to the door of the treatment room, poking her head in to see if Carlisle was free.

He was just helping a middle aged woman up off the bed, giving her some instructions on her medication and looked up, smiling when he saw Bella.

"Hi Bella. Could you wait a moment while I see Mrs Rogers out?" he asked.

"Sure. I was looking for you anyway," replied Bella. She stood to the side, out of anyone's way in this busy room, waiting for Carlisle's return.

"Thanks Bella," smiled Carlisle as he returned. Bella smiled back, understanding full well why Carlisle turned heads. "Let's go to my office."

"Sure. I wanted to ask you about the new doctor," said Bella, walking alongside him down the corridor.

"I thought so. I'm sorry I didn't give you any information about him before but we weren't sure until a few days ago whether he would be coming here at all," he informed her, showing her into his office.

Bella sat down, looking at him curiously. "What do you mean? I thought he was definite when you told us about him?"

"He wasn't sure if his previous hospital would release him from his contract. There were some...issues."

Bella wondered what those could be but refrained from asking. It was none of her business. "So, what's his name and when is he going to arrive?" she asked.

Just as Carlisle was about to answer, a knock sounded on his door.

"That must be him now," said Carlisle and called out for the person to come in.

Bella turned around to see who the new arrival was and gasped inaudibly as she met the green-eyed gaze of the stranger she'd collided with earlier. Schooling her face into a neutral expression, she waited for Carlisle to make the introductions.

Carlisle had stood up and greeted the stranger with a warmth that had Bella bemused. This was no stranger to Carlisle. Even he didn't go around hugging new staff members.

Turning to Bella, Carlisle finally introduced the man. "Bella. I'd like to introduce our new obstetrician, Dr Edward Cullen."

Cullen? Bella looked from one to the other, realising that there was a resemblance there. For a start they were both stunning to look at, Carlisle a more mature version of course. They were similar heights and builds. Yep, they were definitely related.

"Edward is my son."

"Oh," said Bella. Of course, she should have realised.

"Edward, this is Isabella Swan, one of Forks Hospital's best midwives and someone you'll be working with a lot."

Edward smiled as he stretched out his hand to shake hers in greeting. "Hello again. I'm pleased to meet you Isabella. I hope there were no after effects from our previous meeting?"

"Bella," she replied automatically. "Everyone calls me Bella and no, everything's fine." She reached her hand out to shake his hand.

As their hands touched, she gasped softly as she felt the shock of electricity that seemed to pass through their skin. Dropping his hand abruptly, her brown eyes wide in surprise, Bella stepped back. Without volition, Bella felt her face flame with another cursed blush. Damn, she was 26 years old. When was she going to stop blushing like a schoolgirl?

And what was that shock? She wondered. It must have been static electricity. There was no other explanation. She absently noted that Edward had looked at his hand, as if looking for something. Had he felt it too?

"Bella then," said Edward, smiling as he noted her heightened colour. He moved forward to take a seat next to hers.

Bella sat down and willed her blush to disappear. "It's nice to finally meet you Dr Cullen. I didn't realise that Carlisle's son was going to be joining us."

"Please, call me Edward when there aren't patients around. It will get very confusing otherwise. You'll run the risk of both Dad and I answering if you say 'Dr Cullen'" he chuckled.

Bella watched his face as he smiled and she could feel her heart start to beat faster. He really was one of the handsomest men she'd ever seen. His face looked like a master sculptor had sculpted his face, all perfect lines and angles. Green eyes, framed by the longest of lashes looked at her, as if taking in her appearance as well. His hair was a strange, red bronze colour. It was styled casually, brushed back off his face although she could see a tuft of it sticking up, as if he'd run his hands through it. Combined with a full lower lip, Edward looked like he'd just got out of bed, having spent the night having wild, passionate sex.

Bella blushed again as the thought crossed her mind. What are you thinking of? Sex? Sex and Edward? Sex _with_ Edward? She could feel her face burning, and cursed her wild thoughts, especially when she saw him grin quickly.

Carlisle's voice penetrated her thoughts, dragging them back to where they were. "So Bella. Edward will need you to take him around, introduce him and generally show him the ropes. Is that ok?"

"Of course. It will be my pleasure," nodded Bella. She saw Edward grin again out of the corner of her eye. What's he laughing at?

"Bella didn't know you were my son or indeed, anything about you, not even your name, until you walked in here, so if she looked surprised, it's my fault," said Carlisle apologetically.

"Why not?" asked Edward.

"Because you said yourself, it wasn't certain if you were coming until a few days ago," pointed out Carlisle.

Edward nodded and looked at Bella. "I still had another year to run on my contract at my previous hospital and they weren't keen on letting me go, so it was up in the air for a while. But I'm here now and I'm looking forward to working here. I'm sure you'll do an admirable job showing me around." He smiled as he spoke, and Bella found her breathing lose its rhythm.

_Time to be professional Bella_, she told herself. "Well, we're certainly pleased you're here....Edward," she said. "We've been needing a permanent obstetrician for a long time so you can be sure the other members of staff will be most happy to meet you. I hope you'll be happy here. Forks Hospital may be a lot smaller than other hospitals you've worked in but we serve a vital purpose in the area and the staff here are as dedicated as any you'll meet anywhere else." Bella's voice got stronger as she spoke. It was the truth. Sure, they had their problems like anywhere else, but she was proud to work here nonetheless.

Edward sat and looked at her as if trying to work her out. "Well, if your passionate speech is any indication, I'll be pleased to work in a place where the staff are dedicated to their patients."

"That they are Edward," spoke Carlisle. "This hospital serves the whole Olympic Peninsula and as such, we get to know a lot of the locals. Everyone here, not just at the hospital has made your mother and I feel very welcome since we came. I'm sure it'll be the same with you, Edward."

"You're practically a native, Carlisle," quipped Bella.

"Are you a local, Bella?" asked Edward, leaning forward slightly.

Bella nodded, sternly telling her lungs to breath properly. Why did he have this effect on me? It's not like I haven't met other good looking men. Okay, admittedly, she hadn't met any quite as good looking as this one, but still. She would be working closely with Edward Cullen, so she'd better get a grip on herself.

Realising Edward was waiting for her to speak, Bella replied. "I was born here but only returned to live when I was in high school. So yes, I'm one the natives."

Edward nodded. "You'll have to fill me in on the population around here, the ethnic make-up and such. I find it easier in my job if I know the mother's and family's background."

"Of course," said Bella. "You'll find that information in the patient notes anyway but I'll be happy to give you any information you need."

Carlisle stood up. "Well, I'm glad to see that you're in capable hands, Edward. Bella is young but very capable and experienced. We're lucky to have her here. Any hospital would happy to have her working for them," smiled Carlisle, looking at Bella fondly.

Bella blushed again at his kind words. She was very fond of Carlisle, saw him almost as another father and his praise made her feel very special.

Standing up, she turned to Edward, suppressing the shiver that wanted to run down her back as she looked at him. "Shall we head up to Maternity? I'll introduce you to the staff on duty today and show you around the place."

"Sounds great," said Edward. "Let's go." He walked to the door and opened it for Bella to walk through. As she went past him, her hand accidentally brushed his and again, she felt her hand tingle where the point of contact was.

_It's just static_, she told herself again. _I'll have to change these shoes if it keeps happening_. Bella looked down at her black work shoes, wondering if she'd worn the sole down so much that she was gathering static electricity as she walked. It was the only logical explanation for why her body reacted to his touch, even if it was only accidental.

"I'll see you later at home Edward?" asked Carlisle.

"Sure. I wouldn't want to miss Mom's cooking," laughed Edward.

As they headed towards the lift, Bella was shockingly aware of him walking beside her. What was this? It was like some force was drawing her towards him, making her acutely aware of every movement, every sound he made. She felt like her senses were heightened and they were all focused on Edward Cullen.

The silence stretched between them and Bella looked at him, only to find him looking down at her. As their eyes met, Bella felt her heart race and she could feel herself start to blush. Before she humiliated herself again, she tried to make small talk.

"Um...are you staying with your parents, then?" she asked, trying not to look at him too much.

"Only for a few days until a get myself a place," he answered. "I only arrived in town yesterday, so I'll need to get myself sorted out."

"Oh. Why come in today then, when we weren't expecting you until next week if that's the case?" Bella asked curiously.

"Well, to be honest, I won't be doing much today. I'm wanting to get my bearings, with your help of course," he grinned down at her, making the breath hitch in her throat.

That smile should be outlawed, she thought bemusedly. She could only nod in agreement.

"Dad told me about how short staffed you were since the last OB left and I felt it unnecessary to sit around at home until next week when I was needed here."

"But what about finding a place to live? How are you going to manage that? And moving?" questioned Bella.

"Oh Mom will find me a place. And my sister Alice will insist on decorating it," he chuckled.

"Oh that's right! You're Alice's brother. I don't know why it didn't enter my head before," said Bella, feeling stupid for not putting two and two together.

"You know Alice?"

"Oh yes. She's one of my best friends. I feel a bit stupid not connecting you two as soon as Carlisle introduced you. She's mentioned you a few times but I suppose I just wasn't expecting the new doctor to be Carlisle's son."

"I'm sorry Dad didn't tell you more before I arrived, but like I said before, things were a bit up in the air."

Bella nodded, not really understanding. It was none of her business anyway. The lift doors opened and Edward motioned for Bella to precede him.

The doors closed and since there were no other passengers, Bella was acutely aware of the fact that they were alone. They stood side by side, neither speaking, both seemingly lost in their thoughts.

After what seemed like an interminably long time, the lift arrived on her floor. They stepped out and Bella turned to face him.

"Well, Doctor Cullen. Welcome to Forks Hospital Maternity Unit. I'll hope you'll enjoy it here."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews and for giving my story a go.**

**A big thanks to MrsKatyCullen for betaing this for me.**

Chapter 2

"_Well, Doctor Cullen. Welcome to Forks Hospital Maternity Unit. I hope you'll enjoy it here."_

Edward looked at Bella Swan and was suddenly certain that he would enjoy his stay here very much. There was something about her that intrigued him. He wasn't planning on doing anything about it but it would make working here that much more pleasant.

He closed his hand, remembering the spark he'd felt when they shook hands. It almost felt like he'd been burned, and he absently ran his fingers over his palm, as if he would be able to physically feel whatever it was.

Bella Swan wasn't beautiful in the classical sense. Instead, her face was full of character and it was her eyes that fascinated him. They were a dark chocolate brown, deep and soulful. Edward wondered what hidden depths were in those eyes. Teamed with her mahogany coloured hair, she was certainly attractive. A fact that wasn't lost on him. Surreptitiously looking at her, her slim figure was hinted at under the uniform she wore. He suddenly had an urge to know if her legs, covered by the material of her trousers, were as shapely as he imagined.

Pulling himself abruptly back to the present, he dismissed his thoughts. The last thing he wanted was to get involved with a work colleague. Look at the trouble he'd had with Tanya back in New York. And it would be even worse in a hospital this size. No, he would just enjoy working with his attractive colleague and leave it at that.

"I'm very sure I will," he agreed as they walked down the corridor to the nurses' station.

"I suppose Dr Haas should be the one showing you around, and if you had been starting next week, he probably would have. But he's taking a well deserved day off today," explained Bella. "It's been difficult for him as he's had to cover shifts and take most of the clinics. He's on call if we need him."

"Well I'm glad I'll be able to relieve him of some of the burden," said Edward, as they stopped at the desk. The nurse there stopped what she was doing and looked at them, her eyes widening in surprise as she took in the extremely handsome man standing with Bella.

"Karen. This is Dr Edward Cullen. He's our new obstetrician."

"Cullen? Are you any....?"

"Yes, Dr Cullen is Carlisle Cullen's son," said Bella, amused at the nurse's reaction at seeing him for the first time. It made her feel slightly better. It's obviously not just me, he seems to have this effect on most females.

"Oh. That could get confusing," smiled Karen. "Which Dr Cullen are we talking about? Anyway, welcome to the hospital. We're certainly glad to have you here," she said, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Thanks."

"Since Carlisle doesn't come up to maternity that often, I don't think we'll have too much of a problem," said Bella.

The others agreed and Bella continued Edward's orientation. "This is Elaine. She's the secretary for the OB/GYN's here. She makes clinic appointments, does much of the paperwork and generally keeps the doctors in order. Isn't that right, Elaine?" laughed Bella, making the introductions. Edward shook hands with the older woman. "This is your office," she said, showing him the room. "If you need anything for it, let Elaine know."

Edward looked around and saw it looked like it had everything he needed. "When do we run the clinics?"

"We hold pre-natal clinics on Mondays and Thursdays. You'll share those with Dr Haas. Post-natal clinics are usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. Obviously, these can change, especially if there's an emergency or an emergency c-section. We try to schedule caesareans on Wednesday since there's no clinic that day.

"Of course. So who was holding today's post-natal clinic if Dr Haas is off?" he asked.

"We cancelled today's clinic which means Friday will be hectic," Bella grimaced.

"I worked in a New York city hospital. This should be a breeze compared to that," he grinned.

There should be law against that smile, thought Bella. It positively addles the brain. "Yes, I suppose it would be," she agreed. "Although we do have our moments."

Bella led him towards the birthing suites, stopping to introduce Edward to staff they met on the way. Every female, bar none, looked slightly stunned when they looked at him. Looks like Carlisle's got competition from his son in the hot doctor stakes, thought Bella.

She took him into the birthing suites, empty of patients at the moment, and showed him where everything was kept. Also showed him where the nursery with its few humidicribs was.

"We can cater for four babies if necessary but we will transport them to Seattle if their conditions are too poor to be looked after by us."

"By road?" he asked, checking out the facilities as he spoke.

"Mainly, but we've had airlifts on a couple of occasions. There's a heli-field at the back of the hospital."

"Do you have a paediatrician on staff?" he asked, looking at her, all business in his attitude.

"Yes, we have two. Dr Cooper only works part time though. She's got small kids," explained Bella.

As they made their way around the maternity unit, Edward kept asking questions. Bella was impressed. He asked about every facet of the unit, about patients, staff, procedures. He was keen to learn as much as he could about how life at Forks Hospital worked. He listened intently to Bella, his eyes looking directly into hers as she spoke.

Bella could feel butterflies in her stomach as her eyes met his. He was just so damn gorgeous. She took the greatest care not to touch him at all, didn't want to know if there would be a repeat of that spark she'd felt before.

"Well, I think I've shown you just about everything. Did you want to meet some of the mothers that are in the wards?" she asked.

"Sure, why not?" he replied. "Lead the way."

Bella took him to the wards and introduced him to the mothers and their babies. Edward, as Bella was getting used to, blew most of them away. She smiled inwardly as they smoothed their hair, straightened their clothes and sat up straighter when they were introduced.

The man was positively lethal. Here were mothers of newborn babies, most probably too tired to string two coherent words together, preening in the presence of this stunning doctor. When Edward picked up their babies and cradled them while speaking softly, they all fell in love, regardless if they were happily married. Bella could almost see the women sigh as they moved on to the next mother.

Bella had to admit she felt funny watching him holding the tiny babies. He looked so comfortable with them, cradling them expertly while talking softly to each one. Of course, as an obstetrician, he'd have a lot of experience holding babies. Still, there was something very appealing about watching such a large man holding a tiny, defenceless baby.

Bella wondered if he was married or had children. Since she hadn't known of his existence until this morning, she'd obviously never asked Carlisle about him. Alice had only mentioned her brother in passing, and Bella had never asked. If he wasn't married, he had to have a partner, thought Bella. A man like him couldn't possibly be single at his age. Bella looked at him covertly as he talked to another mother. He looked around thirty which sounded about right. He would have had to spend at least six years studying for his degree, then do his residency in order to be in his current position. His previous hospital obviously thought highly of him if they didn't want to let him go.

With nothing to judge his skill as a doctor as yet, Bella thought that if he was anything like his father, then he must be a pretty good doctor. Even his sister Alice was great at what she did, designing and selling clothes. Yes, they were a high achieving family all right.

By the time they finished meeting everyone, Bella suggested that it was time for lunch. She planned to get something from the cafeteria and assumed that Edward would seek his father out. Instead, he asked if he could go with her to lunch.

"I want to ask you more questions and we can talk as we each lunch," he said.

Feeling slightly deflated, Bella agreed. Oh for goodness sake! Of course he wants to talk about work. What did you think? That he wanted to have a romantic lunch with you? Grow up Bella, she told herself sternly.

Grabbing a sandwich, Bella sat at one of the tables, in the near empty eatery. Most of the lunchtime crowd had left already so there was plenty of choice of where to sit. Edward joined her and launched into more questions, Bella answering as well as she could.

Bella had just finished her sandwich when her beeper sounded. Due to the sensitive medical equipment, they couldn't use mobiles which could interfere with the equipment. Therefore the good, old-fashioned beepers were still the best way to contact other staff.

"Excuse me, I'll just go see what's going on," said Bella, getting up and heading to one of the staff phones scattered around the hospital. "Bella here," she said into the mouthpiece.

Edward watched as she spoke into the phone. Bella obviously knew her stuff. She'd just spent the last two hours showing him around, answering his questions and introducing him to staff and patients. He wondered how old she was. She looked to be in her mid-twenties or thereabouts. Despite her youth, she seemed very experienced at her job. She was able to answer most of his questions and seemed quite popular around the unit.

He found himself studying her as she spoke. Her hair was tied in a bun and he could see the delicate skin of the nape of her neck. It looked soft and touchable. His eyes moved to her lips, watching their movement as she spoke. He hadn't really noticed how full and naturally pink they were, especially her bottom lip. His mind suddenly filled with entirely inappropriate thoughts of those lips.

With a small shake of his head, Edward dismissed the images. Ok, so she was more attractive than you originally gave her credit for, but that doesn't mean you can think like that, he told himself. He was a professional and he was going to act like it. No more sexy thoughts about colleagues.

Bella walked back to the table and began packing away her rubbish. "I'm going to have to leave. One of our expectant mothers has just been admitted and I specifically asked to look after her," she explained. Picking up her rubbish, she walked to dispose of it before heading back to the lift. Her thoughts already on the job ahead, she didn't notice Edward walking behind her. When he spoke, she jumped, startled.

"Sorry," he smiled. "I was going to ask if I could come along, but you left so quickly I had to run to catch up."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise," she answered, her brow furrowed quizzically. "Did you really want to come? You haven't properly started yet."

"I know, but I'm here already so I can help out," he said, following her into the lift. "If that's ok with you, of course. I know you're more than capable of handling things." His voice trailed off.

"No. Oh no. I don't have a problem with that. I'd have to call a doctor in anyway, if there were problems. I just meant that as you've only just arrived in town, you might want to go and get yourself settled," explained Bella.

"I'm fine. Mom's in no hurry to get rid of me," he said.

"Ok then," said Bella, impatiently waiting for the elevator to arrive at her floor.

"May I ask why you requested to take care of this case?" asked Edward.

The lift finally arrived and Bella answered as they exited. "I have a particular interest in this case. The mother had a great deal of trouble conceiving and had a history of miscarriages. She's been in three times with threatened miscarriages which luckily never eventuated. About halfway through, her body seemed to finally settle down and she's been complication free for the final trimester. I've formed a bond with her throughout her pregnancy and I promised that if I was on duty when she went into labour, I would look after her. All the staff here knew to contact me when she came in. She came in about half an hour ago but the nurse who admitted her thought it was better to let me have my lunch as who knows how long she'll go for."

"Is this her first baby?" asked Edward as they walked to the birthing suites.

"Yes it is. Like I said, she and her husband have been trying for a number of years, during which she suffered a number of miscarriages. They'd virtually given up on ever having a baby when she fell pregnant again. They've been on tenterhooks, always expecting the worst. I think they only relaxed slightly when they reached the point where they knew the baby had a high probability of survival if it was born early."

"Do they know what they're having," asked Edward, his mind processing Bella's information.

"No. They didn't want to find out. Not that they care anyway. They just want a healthy baby."

Edward nodded. "That's good. I think finding out seems to take away some of the excitement of having a baby, don't you think?"

Bella could only agree. "Yeah, think the same. I wouldn't find out."

"Not planning on having any soon, are you?" asked Edward, before kicking himself mentally. What the hell made him ask that? Now she's going to think...what the hell will she think?

Looking at him, Bella shook her head emphatically. "No."

Pushing open the door to the birthing suites, Bella walked to the nurse who was already there. "Hi Sue. How are things? How's Mrs Evans?"

"Hi Bella. Hello Dr Cullen," she replied, finishing writing in the notes. "She's fine at the moment. I've checked her and she's only just about 4cm dilated, so she's got a while to go. Due to her history, I thought she would feel better if she's admitted rather than sending her home to wait for a bit longer. Her blood pressure's fine and the baby seems quite happy still."

"That's great, Sue. Thanks for that. I'll take over now and Dr Cullen wants to stay so we should be fine. That's unless we get more admissions today," said Bella, moving to wash her hands.

"Won't be the first time," commented Sue. "So you're going to experience your first birth at Forks Hospital, Dr Cullen?" she asked Edward.

"I hope so, Sue. I may as well get the first one over, for luck," he smiled. "I'm just going to observe as I know Bella is more than capable of handling things. I'll just be here for backup if needed." He moved to wash his hands as well.

"Well have fun kids," she called out as she left the room. Edward chuckled.

"Come on, I'll introduce you," said Bella, moving into Suite No 1. Edward followed, eager to get started.

The only occupants of the room were the labouring mother and her husband. She was sitting up on the bed, rubbing her large belly.

"Hi Carol," greeted Bella as they entered the room. "I see the big day's finally arrived."

The woman nodded, her face showing both excitement and apprehension. "Looks like it," she agreed, looking at the stranger, the question in her eyes.

"Carol, I'd like you to meet our new obstetrician, Dr Cullen," introduced Bella. Turning to Edward, Bella introduced the about-to-be parents. "Dr Cullen, this is Carol and David Evans who have been waiting for this day for a long time."

Edward moved forward and shook hands with both of them. "Good afternoon. You're going to be the first birth I observe in my new job, so I'm quite excited," he smiled, exuding charm and calmness.

"I'm so glad we've finally got a new doctor," said Carol, looking as enchanted by the new doctor as every other female today. "Poor Dr Haas has had to work so hard."

"And I'm very happy to be here. I'm only going to be observing today as I know that Nurse Swan is more than capable of looking after you."

Carol looked at Bella. "Oh Bella, surely you'll let Dr Cullen help, won't you?"

Bella shook her head in bemusement. Was there no-one this man couldn't charm? "Of course Dr Cullen can help out if he wants."

Nodding her head in satisfaction, Carol smiled briefly before she grimaced in pain as another contraction started. Bella leaned forward and put her hand on her stomach, wanting to feel the strength of the contraction. Satisfied that it wasn't too strong yet, Bella made note of the time.

"How far apart have the contractions been, Carol?" she asked.

"About ten minutes or so," informed the mother to be. Bella nodded as the answer confirmed her findings.

"Well Carol, it looks like you have while to go yet. I'm just going to have a listen to baby and then I'm going to suggest that you and David go for a walk around. It'll help speed things up a bit. Gravity is our biggest friend, you know?" said Bella, moving to get the foetal heart monitor. "I'd also suggest getting something to eat if you can manage it."

Bella turned on the monitor and held it out to Edward. "Did you want to do the honours?"

Edward smiled widely, causing Bella's heart to flutter briefly. Good thing her heart wasn't being monitored. It would have been a dead giveaway.

He took the equipment and proceeded to hold it against Carol Evans' stomach. After moving it around for a bit, he located the baby's heartbeat. The sound came out of the monitor loud and clear_. Bumpity, bumpity, bumpity_, sounded the baby's heartbeat through the monitor. It was very fast, as was the norm for foetuses.

"Sounds quite happy in there," said Edward, turning off the monitor. "Nurse Swan's right. You should go, walk around for a bit. Being your first baby, none of us have any idea how long your labour will last. Obviously, when the contractions start getting closer and stronger, we'll know things are happening."

"The contractions hurt now," said Carol. "And they're only going to get worse?"

"Afraid so Carol," smiled Bella sympathetically. "But think of it as your body's way of making sure you get to meet your baby as soon as possible. Carol, if you feel you can't handle the pain you can always try the gas or even have an epidural."

Carol shook her head vehemently. "No, I may never be able to have another one so I want to feel everything." Bella nodded her understanding and they left the room, David Evans supporting his wife.

"I might go to my office and start getting myself sorted out while we wait," said Edward. "I'll come back a little later or else call me if things start happening."

Bella nodded her agreement and watched him go. It was sort of a relief when he left and she could relax. She couldn't explain it, but she felt strangely tense in his presence. Like some force was tugging on her, drawing her to him.

Getting involved with a colleague was definitely not in Bella's plans. It was just fraught with danger. Forks Hospital was just too small to avoid someone you didn't want to see if things went badly. She'd seen it happen during her training, colleagues desperately trying to act normally when a love affair had soured.

Oh don't be stupid Bella. There's no way someone like Edward Cullen would be remotely interested in you, she told herself. It's a moot point. The Edward Cullen's of this world are only interested in your average supermodel types. And you're certainly not that, Bella.

Deciding to grab a quick bite to bring back to the unit while the Evans' were walking around the hospital, Bella asked the nurse at the desk to call her if they' got back before she did. Deciding to give the lift a miss, she half-ran down the fire escape stairs. Waiting in line in the cafeteria with a salad roll, a number female colleagues gave her the third degree on the new doctor. The amount of interest was slightly annoying so Bella made her excuses and returned to Maternity as quickly as possible.

Sitting at the desk with the other nurse Cassie, they chatted easily while Bella ate what would probably be her dinner. Carol walked past a couple of times with her husband, stopping in her tracks when a contraction would hit.

"How's it going Carol?" asked Bella when the other woman leaned on the nurse's desk, panting slightly while she waited for the pain to pass. "Is the pain getting stronger?"

"Oh yeah," she panted. "I thought it hurt before but that was nothing."

A couple of hours had passed since the Evans' began walking so Bella suggested that they head back to the birthing suite.

"I'll have another look to see how far dilated you are," said Bella, holding one of Carol's arms for support. She could see that the contractions were definitely getting closer.

As Carol climbed on the bed, another contraction hit, making the woman groan in pain. Bella placed her hand on her stomach and noted that the contraction was stronger and longer than before.

"Just relax as I see how dilated you are," soothed Bella. "Dave, how about you hold Carol's hand while I do this. It's never the most pleasant thing is it?" Carol shook her head.

Bella performed the examination and noted that Carol was approximately six centimetres dilated. Pulling off her gloves, she smiled at Carol, who was really starting to struggle with the pain. "Six centimetres. You're well and truly in labour now, Carol."

"You think?" groaned Carol.

Bella laughed gently. "You're doing really well. Your contractions are coming about every three minutes now."

"How long do you think it'll be, Bella?" asked Dave, looking worriedly at the pain on his wife's face.

"Being a first timer, it's impossible to tell. It could be an hour, or it could be ten hours. It's all up to her body."

"Ten hours? Oh God," groaned Carol. "I don't think I'll last ten hours."

"Any time you want painkillers, just ask."

"No, I'm going to do this without an epidural."

Bella nodded and sat with them as Carol's contractions got closer and closer together. She reminded Carol to use the coping mechanisms she'd learned in pre-natal classes. The mother-to-be used various positions to try an ease the discomfort.

Edward wandered in and stood next to Bella. "How's she going?"

"Things are really moving along now. I would suspect she's nearly ten centimetres by the length and closeness of the contractions," said Bella, trying to move away from him without being obvious.

Edward nodded in agreement. "How's the heartbeat?"

"Nice and strong. No worries on that score," she replied. "Her blood pressure's fine as well."

After about fifteen minutes, Carol began moaning continuously and started crying. She held on to her husband and sobbed that she wanted to go home, that she didn't want to have this baby any more, that she wanted the pain to go away.

Bella asked her to lie down so she could confirm that Carol was fully dilated. Pulling on gloves, Bella performed the check and told the parents to be that Carol was indeed, dilated to ten centimetres.

"That's why you're so emotional Carol. You're going into the transition stage. You could be holding your new baby within a couple hours," she told them.

"Thank god. I don't know.....if.....I......can stand it.....much longer," gasped Carol, as the pain radiated through her body. She gripped her husband's hand as if it were the only thing anchoring her to the planet.

Without warning, Carol said she was going to be sick. Fully expecting this, Bella grabbed a surgical bowl, which was promptly used by Carol who then burst into tears.

The transitional stage between dilating and pushing was usually the most dramatic part of the birth process. Mothers felt out of control, like their bodies have taken over, which it had to a certain extent. There was no turning back. Pushing the baby out now the only option left.

After only ten minutes, Carol cried out that she felt like pushing. Edward and Bella used the cue to get the birthing pack out ready and put on their sterile gowns and gloves.

"Breathe Carol," said Edward. "You want to push during a contraction for the best results."

"Yes, Dr Cullen's right," concurred Bella. "If you do what we tell you, hopefully you won't tear, ok?"

Carol nodded, unable to speak.

"How do you want to give birth?" asked Bella. The labouring mothers were always given the option to give birth in any position they felt most comfortable with. Some preferred to sit up on the bed, other's like the birthing stool, a stool that had a section cut out to enable the midwife to deliver the baby. Some liked to squat, other's stand, while other's used the bean bag to lean on.

Bella discouraged lying down if it were at all possible as she found that mother's struggled the most with the pain in that position. Being upright also helped with gravity.

"On the beanbag," stated Carol, still panting.

Grabbing the beanbag and putting it on the bed, all three helped Carol climb up and kneel down over the bean bag. Dave went and sat next to her, taking hold of her hand as she cried out as another contraction started. Bella loved it when mother's chose to lean on the bean bag as it gave her clear access to the birth canal. She also found it caused less mothers to need stitching after the birth.

"Ok Carol, I want you to push with this contraction," instructed Bella. She could feel the baby's head just inside. "Push with your stomach muscles, Carol. Not your throat."

Carol did as she was instructed and grunted and groaned whilst pushing with all her might.

"Ok, start panting now," said Bella, as the contraction eased.

Edward stood next to her, watching the proceedings. "You're doing really well Carol. I can see the top of the head. Not long now."

The pattern of pushing and panting continued for another twenty minutes until the baby's head began crowning.

"Now Carol, push with all your might," urged Bella, her hands ready to ease the baby's head out of the birth canal.

Crying and grunting at the same time, Carol pushed as hard as her body would let her.

"Aarrrghhh...." she cried out as the burning sensation of the baby's head crowning consumed her.

"That's it Carol, the head's nearly out," cried Bella. With one more massive push, the baby's head emerged.

"Now pant Carol. I need to turn the baby's shoulders. Don't push until I say, no matter how much you want to," insisted Bella.

Edward stood next to her ready to take the baby as soon as it was born.

Bella gently turned the baby's head, the action making the baby's shoulder's turn, facilitating their emergence from the birth canal.

"Ok Carol. One last push when the contraction starts and you'll have your baby," said Bella.

Exhausted, Carol only nodded. Thirty seconds later, the next contraction started and she pushed with all the energy she had left. Bella, guiding the baby, gently pulled at the same time and with a gentle 'plop' the baby was born.

Without any encouragement, the baby opened its mouth and emitted a wail, the sound more like a kitten's meow than a baby's cry.

Dave moved forward, his face radiant as he looked at the baby. "Carol, it's a girl!"

Carol began crying with joy as her longed for baby was finally here. "A girl. I've got a little girl," she sobbed, from happiness and exhaustion.

"Do you want to cut the cord, Daddy?" asked Bella, holding out the surgical scissors. Edward was holding the baby, and Dave reached forward to do the honours. With a bit of effort, he cut through the rubbery umbilical cord, beaming the whole time.

Edward did a quick APGAR test at one minute and gave the baby to Bella, who put the baby in her mother's arms, letting the two meet for the first time. Edward would do another test at five minutes and then do a more thorough check, but this could wait.

"APGAR at one minute is a 9" said Edward as Bella wrote this in the notes. The APGAR score was a quick check of the baby's colour, breathing, reflexes and pulse that was taken at one minute and five minutes post birth. It was used to determine if there was an immediate cause for concern. The score was out of ten, so the Evans baby's score was very good.

Edward checked the mother for tearing and delivered the placenta, declaring it healthy before disposing of it. Apologising to Carol, he took the baby to give her a quick examination. Bella was cleaning up Carol and disposing of the waste.

"How does she look, Dr Cullen?" asked Bella, watching him manipulate the tiny limbs, checking for any problems.

"She's a little beauty," said Edward, smiling down at the tiny baby. "APGAR at five minutes is a 10. Everything seems perfectly fine so far." Wrapping her back up in the blanket, he picked up the crying baby and held her to his chest, crooning softly at her.

Bella watched him cradling the baby and felt a rush of tenderness for him. He looked so comfortable with the infant. Bella looked at them and felt an overwhelming attraction to Edward at this moment. The urge to grab him and kiss him swept over her.

She stood back and tried to banish the thought. It was just a reaction to the emotion of the evening, watching one of her favourite patients finally give birth to the child she'd longed for. That's all it was. Nothing else.

Edward handed the baby to her mother with a smile. "She's a lovely, healthy baby Carol. Congratulations."

The new parents smiled and thanked them profusely. "Please, thank Bella. She did all the work," protested Edward. "I was just a bystander."

Carol asked Bella for a hug, which Bella promptly gave. "Do you have a name yet?" asked Bella.

Carol looked at her husband, who nodded. "We were thinking of calling her Danielle Bella."

Bella eyes watered with emotion. "Oh wow. Thank you. That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you for all you've done. Not just now, but throughout the pregnancy. You put up with my fears and tears."

"It was my pleasure," said Bella. "Now, we'll leave the three of you alone to get acquainted for a while. Then we'll get you to the ward. You can shower here if you want. Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

They shook their heads, their focus now on their newborn daughter. Bella and Edward left the room.

"You did a great job, Bella," praised Edward, watching as her cheeks got pink. She obviously got embarrassed by praise, thought Edward. It was quite charming really.

"Thanks, but it is my job," said Bella, hating the fact that she was blushing again. Why couldn't she just accept praise without getting all stupid about it?

"No, I can tell it's more than just a job," said Edward.

They looked at each other for a few moments, Bella's heart thudding. Edward was the first to break the spell. "I think it must be way past your finishing time?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah, yours too. Why don't you head off? You've probably missed your mother's dinner."

"I rang Dad before and told him I might be late. I'm sure she's saved me something," laughed Edward. "I think I will go. What about you?"

"I'll just get Carol settled in the ward then leave," said Bella, walking towards the nurse's station.

"Ok. Well then, I'll see you tomorrow?" asked Edward.

Bella nodded and watched as he went back to his office to grab his coat and left. She had the porters transfer Carol and her baby to the ward, wishing the happy family goodnight.

Grabbing her bag and coat, she said her goodbyes and walked out into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to all of you who have read and reviewed. I love reading your comments!**

**Thanks to MrsKatyCullen for betaing this for me.**

Chapter 3

Walking out to her car, Bella turned on her phone and saw the messages waiting for her. There was one from her father, another from Alice and five from Jacob. Too tired to bother answering right now, she decided to stop at her father Charlie's place before heading home.

Grabbing a bbq chicken from the takeaway and some salad items from the grocery store she drove to Charlie's. He was now the Chief of Police in Forks but he still didn't look after himself properly. Bella knew there wouldn't be much in his fridge that would be considered nutritious. She doubted crisps and beer would be listed in recommended dietary guides.

Bella felt more like Charlie's mother than his daughter most of the time. Since she'd moved to Forks at sixteen, she had taken it upon herself to look after Charlie. She had done the cooking and cleaning and had run their household.

When she moved away to college, Charlie had been forced to take care of himself again. Bella had convinced him to get a cleaner to take care of the majority of the cleaning. Charlie had kept himself fed by eating at the local diner or at friends houses.

On her return to Forks, Bella had lived with Charlie again for a short time but soon found herself an apartment in the town. She'd developed a taste for having her own space and found living with her father too constricting. Bella didn't want to be questioned about the time she got in from a night out, or who she was with. She wasn't a teenager anymore but Charlie couldn't let go of the overprotective father bit.

Regardless of their living arrangements, Bella still saw her father several times a week. More often than not, they had dinner together, Bella doing the cooking as usual. Tonight, she was just going to cut up the bbq chicken and make a salad. She wouldn't stay long as the long day was starting to catch up with her.

She smiled as she thought about the Evans and their baby. Bella loved a happy ending and they were such a lovely couple who deserved their happiness. She knew that little Danielle would be adored and pampered by her loving parents.

Her thoughts turned to the new doctor. Now that she was no longer in his presence Bella began thinking she'd imagined her reaction to his nearness. It must have been the heightened emotions of the birth and its circumstances. He couldn't possibly be as good looking as she'd thought. His image popped into her mind, giving lie to her thoughts. _Edward Cullen was only a colleague and that's how it was going to stay_, thought Bella sternly.

"Hi Dad," she called out as she let herself in the house.

"Oh hey Bels," replied Charlie. "Just finished work?"

"Yeah. Mrs Evans came in this afternoon and I wasn't leaving until the baby was born," said Bella, walking into the lounge room. Charlie was watching a football game, as usual.

"What did she have?"

"A little girl. Danielle Bella," called out Bella, taking the food into the kitchen. "Have you eaten?" She knew what the answer would be but she always asked anyway.

"Nah, not yet. I'll have to congratulate Dave next time I see him," said Charlie coming into the kitchen. "Got another baby named after you. The place will be overrun with Bellas at this rate," he teased.

Bella laughed. "There's not _that_ many, Dad. And most are middle names, which rarely get used anyway." She prepared their meal while she talked.

"Well at least your name's not Muriel or something like that," quipped Charlie, sitting down at the table as Bella gave him his plate and sat down.

"Thank god for that," chuckled Bella.

"Leave the plates, Bels," said Charlie when they finished eating. "I'll wash up after the game."

"Ok. I'll head home. I'm pretty tired," said Bella as she stretched. "Oh, guess what? The new obstetrician started today. He's Edward Cullen, Carlisle's son."

"Is that so?" asked Charlie. "Hope he takes after his father. Good man, Carlisle."

"He helped deliver the baby today and he seems to know his stuff but I guess time will tell."

"What's he like?" asked Charlie.

"He seems pleasant enough and I think he'll prove popular with the moms," said Bella. _Not to mention the female staff, myself included_, she thought.

Once back at her apartment, Bella wasted no time getting in the shower, letting the hot water soothe her tired muscles. Dressing in her sweat pants and old college sweat shirt, Bella settled herself on her couch to watch a bit of mindless tv. She needed to wind down so that she could get to sleep.

Remembering she had messages on her phone, she grabbed it and scrolled through them. Alice's message was about her brother starting at the hospital. _I wish I'd seen that one earlier_, thought Bella ruefully. She would ring Alice tomorrow.

The other messages were from her friend Jacob. He was from the Quileute tribe and had been her friend since she came back to Forks when she was sixteen. His father, Billy Black was her father's best friend. Jacob was tall and well built and set many hearts aflutter in Forks but so far none of the girls had taken his fancy. Bella and Jacob had tried dating years ago, but found that their friendship got in the way. They'd agreed they were meant to only be friends. They enjoyed each other's company and were handy when functions required them to take a partner. Jake was a skilled mechanic and had overhauled a couple of Bella's cars.

All the messages were asking Bella to call him. Jake wasn't one for leaving multiple messages so Bella decided to call him straight away to see what was going on.

"Hey Jake, it's me. What's going on?" asked Bella when he picked up.

"Bella. Thanks for calling. Are you busy? Can I come over? I need to talk to you," said Jake, his voice subdued.

Worried now, Bella readily agreed. She got some coffee percolating while she waited. Ten minutes later, the doorbell sounded. Opening the door, Bella was shocked at Jake's haggard face.

"Jake! What's happened?" she asked urgently, pulling him into the room. Walking slowly, Jake flopped onto her lounge, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. He didn't say anything for a couple minutes. Bella waited for him to speak, worried for her friend.

Finally, Jake lifted his head and turned to look at her. There was a world of pain in his eyes.

"You know how Dad's been having those headaches?" he asked huskily. Bella nodded. "We found out today that it's a brain tumour and it's inoperable. Dad's dying, Bella." Jake's voice cracked on the last words.

Her eyes filling with tears, Bella hugged him tightly, trying to impart some comfort. "I'm so sorry Jake. Is there no hope?" she asked, knowing what the answer would be.

Jake just shook his head. "They don't give him much time. Months at the most." He covered his face with his hands and cried quietly. Bella just put her arm around him, offering comfort as well as she could.

After several minutes, Jake wiped his eyes and leaned back against the couch. Bella got up to get them a cup of coffee. As she got their drinks, she reflected sadly on the fact that as one soul entered the world, another left it. So much joy earlier and now so much sorrow. The two emotions so intertwined.

"How is Billy taking it?" she asked as they drank the coffee.

"Better than me. I wanted to go and get other opinions, research our options, see if there's a treatment but Dad said no. He says it's his time and that he's ready for it. Dammit, I'm not ready for it!" he cried out, banging his fist on the couch.

"I know you're not but it's his choice, Jake," said Bella gently.

"I know," sighed Jake. "It's just...I don't want my father to die, Bella." He closed his eyes in pain. Bella took his hand and held it tight.

They sat silently, both lost in their thoughts. Jake was the first to move.

"I'd better go. You're probably working tomorrow."

Bella nodded. "Charlie never said anything earlier, so I take it he doesn't know?"

Jake shook his head. "No. Dad wants to tell him himself. He wants me to drive him to Charlie's tomorrow."

"Dad's going to take it badly," whispered Bella, worried for her father. "They've been best friends a long time."

"Yeah." He stood up to leave, Bella following him to the door.

At the door Bella hugged him again. "Please give my love to Billy. I'll try to see him as soon as I can."

"Sure, sure. Thanks for listening, Bels," he said sadly.

"You're my friend. I'm always here for you. Please, anytime you need anything, call me. Even if it's just to talk."

When Jake left, Bella went to bed, weary with sadness. Poor Jake. He and Billy were very close and it would be really hard for him when Billy was gone. His sisters were married and interstate, so Jake would bear most of the load.

Shedding a few tears for Billy, Jake and her father, Bella went to sleep.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Walking into work the next day, Bella was feeling heavy-eyed from her poor night's sleep. Her mind kept worrying about Jake. She knew there was nothing anyone could do but support both Jake and Billy.

She was reading some notes when she heard footsteps behind her. "Hello."

The sound of his dulcet tones sent a shiver down her spine. Turning around, Bella looked at him, her heart skipping a beat when she saw him smiling down at her. _Ok, so my memory definitely didn't do him justice last night_, she thought. "Ah...hi...Dr Cullen," she stammered, mentally kicking herself for sounding like a teenager with a crush.

"How are you, this morning?" he asked, leaning against the desk.

Bella tried to ignore the fact that his groin area was almost directly in her sight due to his height. "Fine, thanks," she replied as normally as she could. To stop her eyes wandering to his nether regions again, she stood up. "You're in early."

"I wanted to read up on the histories of the c-sections scheduled today. What time is Dr Haas due in?"

"He normally gets in around eight unless he's had to come in during the night," she told him.

Edward nodded, his eyes wandering over her face taking in every detail, it seemed. "Are you ok, Bella?" he asked suddenly.

Surprised, Bella's eyes met his. "What do you mean?"

"You just seem...sad, somehow," he replied quietly.

_This man was not only gorgeous but he was perceptive as well_, she thought. "I'm fine. I just got some bad news last night, that's all." She was getting uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"Anything I can do?" he asked, tilting his head toward her.

As Bella looked at him, it seemed as if everything around them faded into the background. She could feel her breathing deepen as their eyes met. What was this effect he had on her? She'd only met him yesterday.

Shaking her head slightly to clear it, Bella broke his gaze. Looking down at the desk, she answered him. "No, but thanks for asking."

Edward looked slightly dazed himself. Bella wondered if he felt anything, then instantly dismissed the thought. A man like Edward probably had women beating down his door. He was every woman's dream man. Handsome, intelligent, rich. What was there not to like? She very much doubted some small town girl like her would hold any attraction for someone like him.

"Do you have the patient records for today's c-sections," she asked briskly, getting back to business.

"Yes, I got them from the nurse on duty when I came in. I've been reading through them and they seem fairly straight forward," he replied, equally business-like.

"Yes they are. All three have had previous caesareans and elected to have the same this time," she nodded.

"Will you be in theatre?" he asked.

"No, the theatre nurses usually assist with caesareans," she replied, shaking her head. "If we were really short staffed because of illness, I'd help out then, but it's not something I do often."

As they spoke, the elevator doors opened and a middle aged man with a briefcase stepped out and walked towards them.

"Hi, Dr Haas," greeted Bella with a smile.

"Good morning Bella," he replied, looking curiously at the young man in the white doctor's coat standing next to her.

"Dr Haas, this is Dr Edward Cullen. He's our new OB."

Dr Haas' eyebrows lifted in surprise then reached out to shake Edward's hand. "Cullen? Are you...?"

"Yes, I'm Carlisle's son," replied Edward with a rueful smile, shaking the other doctor's hand. "Nice to meet you, Dr Haas."

"Bernard, please," came the reply. "We didn't expect you until next week? When did you get here?"

Bella was the one to answer. "Dr Cullen decided to start earlier and came in yesterday to get acquainted."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to show you around. It's been hectic around here the last few months."

Edward shook his head. "Bella did an admirable job of showing me around and introducing me to everyone. She even let me sit in on a birth," he teased, smiling at Bella.

Bernard chuckled. "We'd be lost without Bella here. The mothers love her and some have even had inductions scheduled to coincide with her shifts."

Edward looked at her again, a faint smile on his, oh so kissable lips. Bella felt herself redden under the gaze of the two men.

"Don't be silly Dr Hass. All the midwives here are wonderful."

"If you say so, Bella," replied Bernard. "Edward, let's go into my office and go through today's schedule, heh?"

"Sure. I've got the records in my office so I'll just grab them and meet you there," said Edward, moving away from the desk.

Flashing Bella a quick smile, Edward walked away with the other doctor.

Bella let go of the breath she seemed to be holding in Edward's presence. She felt her cheek and wasn't surprised to find it was hot. Edward seemed to have the strongest effect on her senses but Bella needed to ignore it as much as possible. She didn't want to be the object of gossip as all hospital romances invariably were. At the slightest hint of something going on between staff, the tongues began wagging. Bella hated having attention drawn to herself, being naturally a very private person.

She started on her morning rounds and decided to go and see Carol Evans first to find out how her first night of motherhood had gone. Walking into the room, Bella saw Carol lying on the bed, watching her baby lying next to her.

"Good morning Carol," whispered Bella, looking down at the peacefully sleeping baby. "How did you go last night? Get any sleep?"

Carol nodded, smiling serenely up at Bella. "She was awake for a long while but finally nodded off around two in the morning. She's been asleep since. I slept but kept waking up at every sound or whimper."

"That's normal, from what other moms tell me," smiled Bella. "Did you manage to feed her?"

"I tried but she didn't seem interested. She hasn't had a feed since last night. Is that ok? Should I wake her?"

Bella shook her head. "Sometimes babies are really tired from the birth and don't really want to feed for a while. The whole birth process is pretty traumatic for a baby, you know. If you're worried, you can try waking her up in a couple of hours and see if she'll take a feed. Don't worry too much, she'll start yelling for her food when she's ready."

Carol looked relieved at Bella's words.

"How about I check you out now and I'll look over Danielle when she wakes up?" asked Bella.

Carol nodded her assent and Bella proceeded to check her over, proclaiming herself satisfied at the end. "Your uterus is contracting nicely and everything else seems good. You've done really well," praised Bella.

"Thank you for all your support, Bella. Dave and I didn't really believe we would finally have our baby until I was 36 weeks and we knew she would be fine if she was born. Before, it's like we were waiting for bad news," said Carol, her eyes filling with tears.

Bella placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "That's perfectly understandable after all the trouble and heartbreak you've been through. Now Danielle's here and perfectly healthy."

"Yes. She's our little miracle," she whispered, looking down at her beloved daughter.

"How's Dave?"

"Oh my goodness. He was as high as a kite when he finally left last night. He rang all his friends and they were all going to meet him at their favourite bar to wet the baby's head. Heaven knows what he'll be like this morning," she chuckled with Bella.

"I'll make sure I take a look when he comes in,'' laughed Bella.

"He'll be in this morning with our family. They're all as excited as us, so I hope we don't disturb everyone else."

"Just close the door if you're worried. As long as they're here during visiting hours, they should be fine," assured Bella.

"Can Dave stay during non-visiting hours?" asked Carol.

"Yes, father's only. New moms need a rest time, away from excited family. And it's a good time to show you how to bath the baby and any other things you want to know."

After chatting for a few more minutes, Bella kept going on her rounds. She chatted a while to the mothers, answering their questions.

She walked into Mrs Wolfe's room and saw her husband holding their baby, singing a lullaby in the Quileute tongue. She listened for a few moments, enchanted by the sound. Little Paul was swaddled in a native print blanket.

"Good morning." Both parents looked up and smiled at her. "Going home today?"

"Hope so," nodded Mrs Wolfe. "You've all been wonderful but I really want to get out of here."

Bella chuckled. "Of course you do. Either Dr Haas or Dr Cullen will come around and discharge you if everything's ok, which I believe it is."

"That's good. I think my milk's come in. I'm leaking like a tap," she grimaced.

"Make sure you stock up on those breast pads," advised Bella. "When you're at home, you can just use a nappy under your breasts to catch the leakage."

"Sounds like a good idea," agreed Mrs Wolfe. "They're so sore, though."

"I'll tell you an old wives tale that really does work. Get a cabbage, put it in the fridge and put the cold leaves into your bra. It really does help with the pain and cools the heat according to many moms I've spoken to."

"Do I cook them first?" she asked.

Bella laughed aloud. "No, don't do that! Ugh," she giggled. "Raw leaves only. You don't want sauerkraut in your bra."

They all laughed at that image, Bella still chuckling as she left the room.

She didn't see Edward the rest of the morning as he was in theatre with Dr Haas. She just grabbed herself a sandwich and a coffee and went back to Maternity, not in the mood to talk about the new doctor. Word had spread like wildfire about the gorgeous new doctor and Bella knew she'd be bombarded by questions by the female nurses. The thought of listening to other women possibly making lewd remarks about Edward set her on edge.

Early in the afternoon a call came from the Emergency department advising them that a pregnant woman had come in and was bleeding.

Bella went to find one of the doctors and found Edward at his desk writing up his notes. He looked up as she knocked, a smile of welcome on his face. Again, Bella felt the jolt of awareness.

"Edward, can you please go down to Emergency? It seems a pregnant woman's come in who's haemorrhaging."

Getting up in an instant, Edward followed her out of the room, his hand on her back as he guided her out. Bella felt the heat radiate through her from the point of contact, making her heart race. She walked faster, his hand dropping away, much to her relief.

"Do we know how far along her gestation is?" he asked, his face serious.

"No, they didn't give me any details."

"Bella, come with me please. If she's bleeding heavily she may appreciate a female nearby while we check her out. Plus, you can tell me how to go about transferring her up here."

Bella nodded her acquiescence and followed him to the lift. She felt nervous about being in confined space with him but his mind was already on the job ahead and didn't speak. Bella took the opportunity to look at him properly.

He was tall, with broad shoulders. His body was lean and she wondered what his chest looked like. She couldn't tell under his business shirt, his slim hips clothed in expensive looking trousers, worn with a red patterned tie. Teamed with the white coat, he certainly gave George Clooney's Dr Ross a run for his money. Edward Cullen was as sexy as hell.

In the emergency room, they found the young woman lying on the bed, her eyes frightened. Edward introduced himself and Bella and began asking her questions. She was nineteen weeks pregnant and began bleeding heavily this morning. Edward asked Bella to organise for her to be transferred to maternity where he would do a ultrasound. He needed to find the cause of the bleeding and see if the foetus was still alive.

As the porters came to transfer her, Bella and Edward walked behind, Bella having organised for the ultrasound machine to be readied for them.

"Any ideas?" she asked quietly, having a couple herself.

"My first thought is placenta praevia, or that the placenta is pulling away, which means we can't do anything. Hopefully, the sonogram will tell us," replied Edward.

They took the patient to one of the treatment rooms and wheeled the ultrasound machine in. Bella readied her, smearing gel over her still small stomach and checking the machine was working properly.

Edward took control and performed the test, looking at the screen with the outline of the tiny foetus. Frowning slightly, he manoeuvred the Doppler wanting to check every angle. While he worked, he pointed out the foetus, moving around. The mother sighed with relief at realising that her baby was still alive.

"Mrs Chan, the reason you're bleeding is because you have a condition called 'placenta praevia'."

"What's that doctor?" asked Mrs Chan worriedly. "Will my baby be all right?"

Edward patted her hand in encouragement. "Well, it's not a good thing unfortunately. What it means is that your placenta has attached itself very low in your uterus. It's actually over the birth canal which means there's no way you can have a vaginal birth as it's blocking the exit, so to speak. If you were to go into labour, it would be very, very serious as the placenta would detach itself first, cutting off your baby's oxygen before it was born."

Mrs Chan's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears. Bella took hold her other hand. "So I have to have a caesarean?"

Edward nodded. "Yes, but the problem is that the placenta is in a very vulnerable position and if you had any contractions, even mild ones, it could detach. Therefore, you will need to be virtually bedridden for the rest of the pregnancy."

"Oh God," she gasped, crying in earnest now. "What do I need to do?"

"Where is your husband?" asked Bella gently.

"He's away commercial fishing for another three weeks," she sobbed.

"Do you have any family, friends around? Can you contact your husband?" asked Edward.

"Yes, my mother lives in town. I can contact my husband but he's at sea and can't get back."

"We'll assess you over the next few days but you may need to stay in hospital for the rest of your pregnancy. You need complete bed rest until the baby is old enough to survive outside the womb. The earliest we can cater for here is 28 weeks. Any earlier and we'd have to transfer you to Seattle. If contractions were to start, we'd give you drugs to try and stop the labour. I'm sorry about the bad news but if you follow instructions hopefully we can avoid an early labour and your baby will be fine."

"I'll do anything, doctor," she pleaded. "Anything if it means my baby will be ok."

Edward smiled sympathetically and turned to Bella. "Can you organise a phone so Mrs Chan can contact her relatives?"

Bella nodded and grabbed the phone.

"Firstly we need to get the bleeding stopped. We'll do our very best to get a happy ending," he smiled. "Call your husband and mother. Tell them I'll speak to the them when they get in or call."

Bella left the room to organise Mrs Chan's admission. She asked a junior nurse to go and fill out the paperwork. Further tests would be carried out the next day but it looked like she wouldn't be going home soon. Unfortunately for Mrs Chan, the fate of her unborn baby was in the lap of the gods. Medicine could only do so much and if she started bleeding heavily or the placenta detached, there would be nothing Edward or anyone else could do.

When Mrs Chan was settled in the ward, Bella returned to the treatment room to tidy up. She was putting equipment away when Edward entered the room. She turned to see him leaning a shoulder against the doorjamb, watching her work. Frowning slightly, she asked a bit tersely, "Is there something you want, Dr Cullen?"

Edward's lip lifted slightly in the corner, as if something were amusing him. "Edward. There aren't any patients here, Bella." As he spoke, his eyes wandered over her, taking in her appearance, his green eyes giving nothing away.

"Ok... Edward," she said. She felt that tension she always felt in his presence. The awareness. "Can I do something for you?"

He shook his head. "No, I just wanted to thank you for helping me with Mrs Chan."

"It's my job," she replied. "What are the baby's chances, do you think?" she continued in a softer tone.

He shrugged a shoulder, a masculine movement that Bella enjoyed way too much. "Who knows? The placenta is in a really bad position."

Bella nodded sympathetically. "All we can do is hope, I suppose."

"You really care about the patients, don't you," commented Edward.

"Of course I do. Why do you think I do this? It's certainly not for the money," she retorted.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I have met some nurses and midwives to whom the patients aren't really people, just another case. Why did you become a midwife?"

"Because I don't think I'd get as much satisfaction anywhere else. Why did you become an OB?" she threw back at him.

"Same reason as you. I think obstetrics is one the happiest of the medical fields. Sure, we see tragedies and sadness, but on the whole, we're surrounded by happy people."

Bella could only agree. "Yes, I usually go home tired, but happy."

"Well it shows. You're wonderful with the mothers," he said gently.

Bella, to her annoyance, blushed brightly at his compliment. "Thank you. Speaking of home, I'm leaving soon."

Edward straightened. "Ok. Well have a good evening. I'm running my first clinic tomorrow. Who's rostered to assist?"

"I am. I'm on a late start but the clinic doesn't start until 1pm."

"Great, I'll look forward to it," he smiled his dangerous, sexy smile at her.

Feeling her pulse start racing, Bella turned to put the last things away and went to leave the room. Edward was still standing at the door and as she moved past him, he reached out and touched the bare skin of her arm. The surge of electricity she felt at the feel of his skin on hers was intense. Bella looked up at him sharply, noting the slight narrowing of his eyes. He removed his arm and Bella was sure she imagined that he caressed her skin as he did so.

"See you tomorrow," he said quietly.

Unable to say a word, Bella nodded and left the room hurriedly. She could still feel her skin burning where his fingers touched it. The whole episode only took a couple of minutes but it had a surreal, dreamlike quality to it.

As Bella gathered her things together she had to admit the truth to herself. She was wildly attracted to Edward. Everything about him attracted her. His looks, his voice, his way with the patients and the babies. She hadn't ever been this attracted to a man before.

As soon as this realisation struck her, reality intruded. Bella knew she couldn't let her attraction show. It would be too humiliating. Edward would not be attracted to her, so she would have to act as normally around him as possible. Bella could handle that.

That didn't mean she couldn't daydream about him in the privacy of her own home, though.

o-o-o-o-o-o

She stopped off at home before going to see Charlie. She'd received a message from Jake that Billy had seen her father, so she wanted to check on him. Bella knew he would be devastated at Billy's news, even if he didn't show it.

As she defrosted a meal she'd made on the weekend, Bella decided to ring Alice. She hadn't spoken to her friend since the weekend.

"Hey Bella, you got my message," said Alice brightly.

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't ring earlier but things happened."

"Don't worry about it. I know your job isn't nine to five. I rang you because I want to know if you're busy on Saturday night?"

Bella thought quickly. "Yeah. I'm working Sunday but Saturday's free. Why?"

"Jasper and I are having a dinner party and we want you to come," replied Alice.

"Oh. What's the occasion?"

"Nothing really. We just want to welcome Edward to town and I'd like you to be there, seeing as you work together."

Bella bit her lip. She wanted to say no but couldn't. She'd already said she was free so there was no escape by claiming a prior engagement. How would she cope sitting at the same table as Edward?

"Ah...ok," she said slowly. "Who else is coming?"

"Edward, of course and Jasper's sister Rosalie and her husband. Oh, and Mom and Dad of course."

"Won't I be intruding on a family dinner?" asked Bella, crossing her fingers.

"Don't be silly. So, what do you think of Edward?" asked Alice slyly.

"What...what do you mean?" stammered Bella, mentally kicking herself.

"Do you think he's handsome?"

Oh god! What is that pixie up to? "Well, yes. He's very handsome. It's obvious, isn't it?" she hedged.

"Mmm. Do you like him?"

"Huh? I only met your brother yesterday and we spent most of the time either delivering a baby or with him in surgery today. He seems very nice but I don't really know him. Why are you asking me this?" Bella asked suspiciously.

"No reason. I just wanted to know what you think of my brother, that's all. Maybe you'll get to know each other better on Saturday," said Alice innocently.

"What are you up to, Alice?"

"Nothing Bella. Don't be so suspicious, for goodness sake."

"Ok. I've got to go Alice. I've got to see Dad. He had some bad news today and I need to see how he's taking it."

"Oh, I'm sorry. What happened?"

"I'll tell you on Saturday," replied Bella.

"Ok. See you then. Around seven."

Bella rung off and got ready to see her father. She wasn't looking forward to it.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: If you're wondering, the cold cabbage leaves really do work. I was given a whole cabbage after I had my first and my husband was about to cook it for me, not realising that I wasn't going to eat it!**

**I don't normally ask for reviews but if you're enjoying it, please let me know. I love hearing from you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: A huge thanks to everyone who's been reading and/or reviewing. It makes writing worthwhile.**

Chapter 4

Steering his car up Alice's drive, Edward could feel his body buzzing with a strange excitement. He could tell himself that it was tiredness from a busy first week in a new job. Or from spending the day unpacking his boxes in the house his mother had found for him to live in. He could tell himself these things, but they wouldn't be true.

Edward knew this excitement was because Bella would be here tonight. He would see her in a different setting. Would she be different? The same?

He knew that logically he didn't want to get involved with a colleague, but that logic was having a hard time making its presence felt.

Bella Swan was playing havoc with both his logic and emotions.

What was it about her that so attracted him? An image of Bella entered his head. Was it her large brown eyes, so expressive, that drew his attention? Or maybe it was her delicate pale skin. He'd touched her because he'd had a compulsion to find out if it was as soft as it looked. It was.

When he'd shaken hands with her the first time they'd met, he'd been amazed by the spark of electricity that had flowed between them. He'd put it down to static but when it happened every time they touched accidently, and not so accidently, he didn't know what to think.

Edward watched her work during the week and her dedication and professionalism had impressed him enormously. Bella genuinely loved what she did. It wasn't just a job for her. It was obvious in the way she treated the patients, going out of her way to make sure they got what they needed.

What about Bella? What did she need?

She had assisted him in Thursday's clinic, giving him valuable information on many patients that wasn't written in their files. Family histories, backgrounds, things like that. The expectant moms loved her. More than one had commented on Bella while he'd examined them. She'd helped deliver some of their children and they were hoping she'd be doing the same again.

Pulling his thoughts back to the present, he parked his car and went to greet his sister. He knocked on the door and heard her tinkling laugh as she walked to the front door.

"Edward. About time. I thought you might be late," said Alice, looking up at him from her diminutive height.

"Hi to you too, squirt," he replied, knowing she hated that nickname. She'd always been sensitive about her height, or lack of it. Despite missing out in the height department, she'd made up for it with her vibrant personality.

Alice smiled and hugged her brother. "Good to see you. Mum and Dad are here already. Rosalie and Emmett are on their way and Bella should be here soon."

Edward's ears perked up at the mention of Bella. Not that he'd let Alice know. She was an inveterate matchmaker. If Alice so much as got a whiff that he was attracted to Bella, she wouldn't let up until her brother was nursing his grandchildren.

Walking with her into the house he was greeted by Jasper, Alice's husband. "Hey, Edward," said Jasper, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Jasper. I'm glad to see Alice hasn't driven you nuts yet," teased Edward, smiling at his sister.

Jasper just chuckled and hugged his wife to him, kissing her temple. Jasper was the perfect foil for his wife. Where Alice was dark and tiny, Jasper was tall and blond. Alice was a livewire, an unceasing bundle of energy, seemingly too much for her body to contain whereas her husband's unceasingly calm demeanour seemed to settle her down. Edward hadn't been able to attend their wedding as he'd been volunteering in Africa and hadn't felt right about leaving when there was so much poverty and despair. Alice had understood. This meant he didn't really know Jasper well, but what he did know, he liked.

Alice had met Jasper, an author, in Chicago when he was there meeting with his publishers. Chicago was their hometown and Alice had gone to the Marriott hotel for drinks with a couple of friends. She'd seen him at the bar and claimed that it was love at first sight. Jasper hadn't stood a chance. She'd set out to capture him with a single minded determination that her family would have recognised immediately.

They'd married after only three months and Alice had moved to Jasper's home in Forks. They lived in a beautiful white clapboard home, with large lawns surrounding the house, all bordered by the forest of the Olympic Peninsula. It was due to Alice that their parents had come here, attracted by the thought of living a quieter life as part of a smaller community.

That Alice was supremely content was obvious by the happiness that shone from her eyes when she looked at her husband. Jasper also looked absolutely devoted to his beautiful wife, which pleased Edward enormously. He was happy his sister had found her perfect mate.

As they entered the lounge, Esme moved forward to hug her son. She was still a beautiful woman, even in her fifties. She was the epitome of charm and grace and she loved her family with a passion.

"Hi Mom," greeted Edward, hugging his mother tight.

"Hello darling. Have you unpacked everything yet?"

Esme had been the one to find Edward's house. Being a small town, there really weren't that many apartments available, but she'd managed to find a small, charming house not far from the hospital. It was small, but had plenty of room for a single person. Esme was now planning on decorating it. Edward was letting her do what she liked, he didn't have the time or inclination really. His apartment in New York had been fairly utilitarian, so anything would be an improvement. Besides, Esme had superb taste.

"Nearly. Only a few boxes left."

Nodding, she moved back to her husband. "I've got some great ideas for it," she declared.

"Do whatever you want to it, Mom. I trust your taste."

Esme beamed as Edward greeted his father. "Make sure you come around for dinner often, or your mom will fret," warned Carlisle jokingly.

"Don't worry Mom. I'll need some proper food every other night," joked Edward.

"How did you manage in New York for so long?" lamented Esme, looking at her strapping son.

"Lots of takeaway."

Esme just shook her head and tutted. The doorbell rang and Alice rushed to let her sister-in-law in. There were voices and laughter coming from the front foyer, a man's booming voice the loudest.

Alice walked back in the room, followed by one the most attractive couples Edward had ever seen. The man was over six feet and built like a linebacker while his wife was one of the most beautiful women he'd seen. She was also tall and blond, with a body the Paris catwalks would have drooled over.

Funnily enough though, she left him cold. Despite her supermodel looks, Edward had been much more affected by Bella's girl-next-door looks.

"Edward, I'd like you to meet Rosalie and Emmett. Rosalie is Jasper's sister," said Alice, making the introductions.

"Nice to meet you both," said Edward, shaking each of their hands.

"Good to see you," boomed Emmett, a wide smile on his friendly, open face. "We missed you at the wedding."

"Yeah, I was in Africa at the time and couldn't get back," Edward explained.

"Africa? Were you doing volunteer work or something?" asked Rosalie curiously.

"Yeah, I was working in a hospital there, looking after the mothers and babies."

"And how are you finding working in Forks?" continued Rosalie.

"It's been great. Everyone has been really welcoming and the staff there are terrific."

Rosalie nodded her head in approval. She was naturally protective of things that were important to her and she'd worried that a doctor from the big city would think he's too good for the small town of Forks.

"So you're another Doc?" asked Emmett. Edward nodded.

"Edward is an OB/GYN, Emmett," explained Rosalie.

"An OB WTF?" laughed Emmett. When Edward opened his mouth to explain, Emmett put his hand out. "I know what it is doc. I'm just messing around."

Rosalie just rolled her eyes, obviously used to her husband's ways. She moved to greet Esme and Carlisle. "Don't mind him, Edward. His brain stopped growing when he was twelve."

"Ouch," grimaced Emmett. "That's cold, baby. I thought at least fourteen," he said with a big grin on his face.

Everyone laughed, any ice broken by Emmett's silliness.

The talk became general for a few moments more until the doorbell rang again. Edward felt his pulse pick up speed in anticipation of seeing Bella. He felt foolish, but he couldn't help it.

o-o-o-o-o-o

The butterflies in her stomach were doing somersaults as Bella drove to Alice's house. She loved Alice but she so wished she'd been rostered to work tonight. If the hospital had rung and asked her to cover for another midwife, she would have agreed in an instant. There had been no phone call so here she was, preparing to see Edward outside of the hospital.

How bad could it possibly be? He was the same man she saw at work and she managed to hide any attraction she felt there. It would be the same tonight. She would be friendly and cordial and that would be the end of it. No problem.

Despite telling herself this, Bella had taken extra care with her appearance tonight. She wasn't trying to impress Edward Cullen, she told herself as she applied the makeup she seldom wore. It didn't matter in the slightest what he thought of what she was wearing. Her figure-hugging deep red sweater dress, with the low neckline had been one of Alice's creations. That's why she wore it, to please Alice.

Alice. She smiled when she thought about her crazy friend. They met when she walked into Alice's clothes store in Port Angeles to buy an outfit to attend a christening. Being quite conservative in her choice of clothes, jeans and t-shirts were Bella's 'uniform' outside of work, Bella had let herself be talked into buying a floaty dress by Alice, who was working there that day. Indeed, it was hard to say no to Alice in most situations. Even if the little pixie was always right.

Somehow, they had just clicked and they began regularly meeting for coffee which progressed to girl's nights out and now they were firm friends. She'd known Jasper since school but he had been only an acquaintance back then as he was older than her. Through Alice, she'd also become friends with Rosalie and Emmett, who taught at PE at Forks High and was the school football coach. Rosalie had worked as a mechanic but was now a stay at home mom since their son Riley had been born eighteen months ago. Rosalie had been in competition, of sorts, with Jacob as a mechanic.

Jacob. Bella frowned as she thought of her friend. She knew he was struggling to accept his father's fate, angry that Billy wasn't doing anything to fight the cancer. Bella also knew that eventually Jacob would find acceptance but he had a lot of heartache on the way.

Charlie had been another matter. Maybe because of his profession, Charlie had taken the news stoically, although Bella knew her father was hurting too. It's just that Charlie wouldn't show it. Emotion scared Charlie. It was just the way he was.

When she'd seen her father, he'd been sitting on the lounge, staring at the TV, seemingly lost in the game that was playing.

"Hey Dad," said Bella, sitting down next to him.

"Hey Bels."

"Um...I...ah...Jacob told me about Billy. I'm really sorry."

Charlie nodded in acknowledgement of her words. "Yeah. It's too bad."

"Are you ok, Dad?"

Charlie just sighed and closed his eyes. "Yeah, I'm ok. Feel bad for Jacob, though."

"I know. He's pretty cut up about the news."

"Can't do nothing," said Charlie. "Just gotta accept it. Like the rest of us."

Bella nodded. Neither of them said anything else for a long time, just sat in companiable silence, both lost in their thoughts.

Shaking off the sad memories, Bella drove up Alice's drive and parked her car. She saw a number cars there already and guessed she was probably one of the last to arrive. She didn't know what kind of car Edward drove so she didn't know if he was here or not.

Taking a deep breath, Bella got out of the car, carrying the bottle of wine she'd brought for Alice. She was wearing heels so she walked carefully, not used to the extra height. Flats and sneakers were her usual mode of footwear. Unfortunately neither seemed appropriate for this dress.

"Bella! Wow, you look great!" said Alice, a wide smile on her face.

"Thanks. It's one of yours, you know."

"I know. I'm just really glad you dressed up." Alice pulled her inside, taking the bottle from her. "You don't usually make this much effort," she pointed out slyly.

"Are you calling me a slob?"

"No," laughed Alice. "You just look glammed up. I'm not used to it."

"Well it seemed appropriate."

"Because Edward's here?" she asked, looking at Bella's face.

Keeping her expression neutral, Bella replied. "And your parents and your in-laws."

"Oh. I thought maybe you wanted to impress Edward."

"Alice! Stop it. What are you trying to do? Embarrass me?" asked Bella. "Because if you are, I'll go now."

"I'm sorry. It's just that I think you'd make a good couple," replied Alice.

"I hardly know him so just lay off, ok?" warned Bella. _Lord, if Alice got any idea how attracted I was to her brother, she would be impossible._

Steeling herself, Bella followed Alice into the lounge where the others were waiting, determined not to show any sort of reaction to Edward's presence, knowing that Alice would be watching them like a hawk.

She knew it would be harder than she imagined the instant her eyes fell on him. Despite the others in the room, her eyes seemed to seek him out automatically. It took all her willpower not to give herself away as their eyes met.

Even across the room his eyes seemed to burn into hers, making her knees feel weak. How clichéd, she thought. Yet it was true. Her legs felt like jelly as he moved towards her, her pulse racing.

He was so damn sexy, she wanted to grab him and kiss him senseless. He was wearing jeans with an open-necked button down shirt, topped with a casual blazer. He looked like he'd stepped out of the pages of GQ magazine, his bronze hair casually ruffled.

She watched as his eyes travelled over her, taking in her appearance. His eyes wandered over her stocking clad legs, on display in this dress which only came to just above her knees before moving up, noting the womanly figure underneath. Bella thought she imagined that his eyes lingered briefly over her full breasts, clearly outlined with a tantalising hint of cleavage showing.

When his eyes finally moved over her face, he smiled. Captivated by that smile, it took Bella a few seconds to realise that someone was speaking to her. Dragging her eyes from his, Bella turned to see who had spoken to her.

"How are you, dear?" asked Esme, a gentle smile on her face.

"I'm great. It's lovely to see you," said Bella, returning Esme's hug. Behind her was Carlisle.

"Hello Bella. You look lovely tonight," said Carlisle, taking her hand and giving her a fatherly kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you Carlisle. It's one of Alice's designs."

"It looks great on you," said Rosalie moving forward to greet Bella. "You've got the colouring to wear that colour. I love it."

Giving her a kiss on the cheek, Bella laughed. "Coming from you, I'll take that as a great compliment." Rosalie would look good in sack.

"Bella, Bella, Bella. You look _hot_!" said Emmett, giving her a bear hug. "Why hasn't some lucky guy snapped you up yet?"

Bella blushed at his words, hoping that Edward didn't think Emmett was hinting. "Well, obviously all the good ones are already taken," she joked, trying to distract them from any thoughts of matchmaking.

"Too true," agreed Jasper, earning himself a punch on the arm from his wife. "Hi Bella."

She greeted Jasper then turned to the only person she hadn't said hello to yet. "Hi Edward."

Bella held out her hand only for Edward to take it in his and raise it to his lips. Bella practically stopped breathing as she felt his soft lips on her skin, her cheeks burning. She didn't notice Alice's barely concealed glee as she watched the two of them.

Letting her hand go, Edward smiled his crooked smile, which did nothing for her tortured breathing. Her hand felt like it was on fire and she had to stop herself from rubbing it with her other hand to see if she could feel the imprint of his lips.

"Hello Bella. Dad's right. You do look lovely tonight."

Bella nervously pushed her hair off her shoulder and saw his green eyes darken as he looked at it. He'd never seen her hair out of its bun. "Ah...thanks," she stammered. "You just haven't seen me out of uniform."

His lips curled in a half smile. "No, that's not it," he murmured cryptically, turning to talk to his father.

Released from the invisible force of attraction she felt, Bella also turned to chat to Rosalie and Esme. Annoyed at herself, she nonetheless was constantly aware of Edward's presence. Moving around the room, she chatted with everyone, trying not to make it look like she was avoiding Edward. Inevitably though, she found herself virtually alone with him, everyone else in their own conversations.

Gripping the glass of sparkling wine Alice had given her, Bella looked at Edward and said the first thing she thought of. "It's nice of Alice to throw you a 'welcome' dinner."

Edward chuckled. "Alice doesn't need an excuse, but I'm glad to give her one anyway."

Bella nodded and took a nervous sip of her drink. _Act normally. Pretend you're at work_.

"How long have you known my sister? And is that dress really one of hers?" he asked, his eyes lingering on her.

Standing so close to him, she saw when his eyes lingered on her breasts for a moment and immediately felt her nipples tighten in response. Mortified, she was eternally grateful that the material was heavy enough to disguise her body's reaction to his gaze. _Say something before the others notice your reaction to Edward._

"Um...yeah, it's one of hers. Alice is very talented."

Edward nodded. "Yeah, she's always loved clothes. I always saw her as a top designer in New York or some fashion capital but obviously love changed her plans."

"Is that a bad thing?" asked Bella, frowning. "She's very happy and Jasper adores her."

"No, don't get me wrong. I'm very happy for her and this is what she wants. I just hope she doesn't waste her talent."

"I wouldn't call running her own boutique as 'wasting' her talents. She's got quite a good internet business going, you know. Alice is not the type of person to do anything she doesn't want to, so obviously she's happy with her life."

He looked at his sister, who was curled into her husband's side, his arm protectively around her.

"Yeah, she does look happy. So how did you two meet?"

"Clothes," she grinned. "I walked into her shop and we just clicked. She just knows what suits people. She gave me this for my birthday. She keeps trying to get me to dress better. I'm more a jeans and sneakers girl."

"Well I have to applaud her taste tonight. Although I _am_ quite fond of jeans on a girl." He smiled that sexy smile of his.

_Is he flirting with me?_ Luckily Bella was saved from having to answer by Alice who asked everyone to head into the dining room.

Her relief was short lived as she found herself seated opposite Edward. Every time she looked up she would be looking directly at him. She was wound up so tight already and this wouldn't help. Trying to pretend that she wasn't attracted to Edward Cullen was torturing her.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Edward was eternally grateful that he was wearing jeans. The heavy material, as well as his blazer was successfully hiding the evidence of what Bella was doing to his body.

The instant he saw her walk in, his head lost total control over his body, much to his dismay. He felt like a horny teenager faced with the object of his lust. And with just as much control.

He didn't think he'd ever seen anything as sexy and desirable as Bella. Having only seen her in a hospital uniform that concealed most of her figure, she was a revelation. A siren. He was having trouble tearing his gaze away from her.

Who would have thought that she'd have the most desirable hourglass figure? It almost seemed a crime to conceal it. Her small waist, full hips and long, luscious legs were beautifully enhanced by the figure hugging dress. And those breasts. Edward felt himself get hard every time his eyes wandered to her magnificent breasts. His hands itched to fill themselves with her softness, to squeeze and caress them. Groaning inwardly, Edward forced himself to think of something else less he disgrace himself. He was aching so bad, straining painfully against the denim material.

Bella flicked her hair and Edward nearly groaned aloud. She always wore it in a bun at work so he'd never seen it loose. Soft and wavy, falling in a mahogany curtain down her back, Edward had visions of it trailing over his skin, it's feathery softness tickling as she went down on him.

He'd never been more glad when Alice had asked them to go to the dining table. He didn't think his parents would be too happy with him if he picked Bella up and carried her away so he could have his wicked way with her. Although Alice probably wouldn't mind.

Would Bella mind? She seemed nervous around him but he didn't know why. Was she attracted to him or did she realise the affect she has on him and was uncomfortable? _God, I hope she didn't notice the bulge in my jeans_.

Sitting in front of her was just as much torture, if not worse, as before except that now he had the table to hide his response.

Every time she moved, or leaned forward he was able to see more cleavage and he thought he even got a glimpse of black lace. By now, his erection was positively painful and he was seriously considering going to Alice's bathroom and relieving himself, just so he could get through the night.

_What the hell is this girl doing to me? I'm not seventeen, I'm thirty, so I shouldn't be reacting like this_. Deliberately thinking about the contents of his medical texts, he'd manage to get himself under control until Bella would move or laugh or flick her hair and he'd be back where he started.

Throughout all this, he still somehow managed to contribute to the conversation going on around him. He noticed that Bella wouldn't directly ask him anything and seemed to be avoiding looking at him.

Damn, she's probably noticed my reaction to her and doesn't want any part of it. The thought was depressing. Going quiet, he listened half-heartedly to the conversation until the topic turned to Bella herself. His interest was instantly piqued.

"So Bella, no boyfriend yet?" asked Emmett, with no tact whatsoever.

Edward saw Bella blush and was captivated. He didn't know any other woman her age that blushed and found it wildly sexy. He wondered how far down that blush went, and groaned silently as he got hard again.

"No Emmett, I'm still happily single," said Bella, shaking her head. She suddenly looked up and their eyes met. Edward felt his pulse race as the thought of her without a man in her life made him absurdly pleased.

"Well the guys around here must be blind, nuts or gay if no-one's snapped you up yet," said Emmett, making everyone, including Bella, laugh.

"Thank you Emmett, but I'm quite happy as I am," stated Bella, frowning.

Edward had to agree with Emmett. That someone like her was single was almost a crime. But the thought made him happy.

"So Edward, no future Mrs Cullen waiting in the wings?" asked Rosalie this time.

What was it with these two? Thought Edward. Did they interrogate anyone who was over 18 and still single?

He shook his head. "No. Nothing happening."

"So you're both single. Hmm," mused Rosalie, letting the implication of her comment settle on them all. To Edward's bemusement, all eyes seemed trained on Bella and himself. He quickly glanced at Bella and saw her scowling into her plate, obviously hating this conversation.

Wanting to change the conversation, he said the first thing that came into his mind. "So, do you and Emmett have any children?"

Thankfully it was the perfect thing to ask Rosalie as she launched into a discussion about her little boy, all attention diverted from Bella and himself. He noticed that Bella didn't contribute to the conversation and glanced up at her, the relief at not being the centre of attention anymore, almost palpable.

When their gazes met, Edward couldn't help smiling conspiratorially at her, knowing what she was thinking. It seemed that she thought the same thing because she smiled back at him, the first real smile she'd given him all night.

Edward felt the breath leave him as he saw that smile. She was beautiful and he felt his resolve of not becoming involved with a colleague wavering. He couldn't remember wanting a woman this badly before. Maybe he never had.

Suddenly he thought of Tanya. Tanya. The reason he was anxious to get away from New York, despite enjoying his work there.

Tanya had been a nurse in the hospital where he worked. One night on his way to his car, he saw her leaning against her car, crying into her hands. He didn't know her name but felt compelled to check if she was ok. She said that she'd just found out her grandmother had died and was devastated. She was a mess and Edward's chivalrous instincts kicked into gear. He suggested he take her to get a coffee to help calm herself down. On the short drive, he introduced himself and found out she was called Tanya.

Tanya was quite attractive but she did nothing for him. Edward had always preferred brunettes. As they drank their coffees, Tanya talked and Edward let her get it all out of her system. Afterwards, he drove her back to the hospital, glad that she seemed much more cheerful than before.

That was the end of it. Or so he'd thought. Unfortunately, Tanya had mistaken his kindness for something totally different. She began haunting the Maternity Unit, asking for him, ringing him all the time, even waiting for him at his car. She had convinced herself he was in love with her. When she declared her love, Edward had been horrified. He'd tried to let her down gently, explaining that he didn't feel the same, that he only wanted to be her friend. It didn't work, and her behaviour got worse.

Fed up with her, Edward had resorted to telling her the brutal truth that he'd only been showing kindness to her that night and that he felt nothing for her but pity. He'd watched as she left, breathing a sigh of relief that she'd finally gotten the message. He thought that was the end of it until a few days later when he was asked to see his boss in his office.

To Edward's shock and dismay, Tanya had put in a complaint that he had been sexually harassing her and that he'd tried to rape her when she refused his advances.

"You surely don't believe that, do you?" he'd cried, stunned at the accusation against him.

"No, but a complaint has been made and it has to be investigated," his boss had answered.

The next few weeks were awful, as rumours and innuendo spread like wildfire. His staff was adamant that Edward would never do the things he'd been accused of and gave evidence of Tanya's many trips in Maternity looking for him. They knew him and steadfastly defended him to anyone who suggested that the lies were truth. Edward would always be grateful for their support.

As the investigations continued, Edward's anger towards Tanya grew and when he saw her alone in the car park, he couldn't stop himself from confronting her.

"Why the hell did you tell those lies about me?" he'd demanded.

Tanya had just laughed in his face. "You didn't want me so you were going to pay," she sneered.

His temper exploded at the knowledge that she could be so vindictive. "You bitch! All I did was try to help you feel better. I never, ever gave you any indication that I wanted any sort of relationship. I didn't even know you. It was all in your head. Once I'm cleared, you'd better watch out because I'm going to sue you for defamation."

Tanya's face had blanched at the threat. Edward had the money and the status to carry out his threat.

The next day, Edward was told by his boss that Tanya had withdrawn her complaint and that Edward was cleared of any wrong doing. He'd been relieved and angry. Angry that he'd had to defend himself against such blatant lies.

It was during this difficult period that Carlisle had told him about the vacant position in Forks Hospital. Fed up with New York, Edward told him he was interested but couldn't do anything while the investigations were going on.

As soon as his name was cleared he'd tendered his resignation with the aim of moving to Forks. Not wanting to lose one of his best doctors, his boss had refused to accept it on the grounds that he still had a year to run on his contract. Edward had bluntly told him that he'd better clear it with the Board or he would leave anyway and if they tried to sue him for breach of contract, he would counter-sue for defamation of character.

The threat worked and he'd been released from the final year of his contract.

If he hadn't been wary of romances between colleagues before, he was positively averse to them now. The scrutiny, whispering and gossip had been ghastly. No way was he going to get involved with a colleague.

Now here he sat, in front of the biggest temptation he'd ever had. His resolve was wavering by the second and if Bella was to suggest that she wanted him to make love to her, he'd probably jump up and take her on the table right now.

His wandering mind was brought back to the present when Alice called for their attention. Dragging his eyes from Bella's, Edward turned to look at his sister.

"Jasper and I want to give you all some wonderful news." Alice walked around to the other end of the table where her husband sat. He smiled up at her and pulled her down on to his lap. Kissing him swiftly but tenderly, Alice turned to her guest's expectant faces.

"I'm going to have a baby!" cried Alice, jumping up from Jasper's lap.

Pandemonium broke out as the women all seemed to begin squealing in delight at the same time. Alice's tiny figure was engulfed by three sets of arms as they all hugged her before hugging Jasper as well.

"Darling, I'm so happy for you and Jasper. Oh my gosh, Carlisle. We're going to be grandparents!" cried Esme, her voice breathless from excitement.

Carlisle hugged his daughter, then in a show of happiness, hugged his son-in-law. Everyone laughed at Jasper's look of surprise at this show of spontaneous affection.

Edward shook Jasper's hand before hugging him briefly. "Congratulations Jasper. I'm sure you'll make a great dad."

"Thanks Edward. I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that we're expecting," admitted Jasper with an awed look on his face.

Everyone laughed at Jasper's use of the phrase 'we're expecting'.

Edward hugged Alice tightly. "I'm really, really happy for you Sis. I can't wait to see you with a great big belly."

Alice giggled. "Can you imagine? I'll look like a penguin." She looked around and called out. "Bella."

Edward stepped back as Bella came forward to hug Alice. His eyes involuntarily moved down to her bottom, shown to its best advantage in her dress. He had to stop his hands from reaching out and caressing those tempting mounds.

He didn't realise that Alice had chosen that moment to look up and saw where his eyes were trained. Or the devilish grin that briefly crossed her face.

"You and Edward are going to deliver my baby, aren't you Bella?" insisted Alice.

"I suppose we won't have a choice. You'll probably refuse to go into labour if I don't," laughed Bella.

"Damn straight. I want the best and you and Edward are the best."

Bella just shook her head. "Have you booked in for your first check up?"

Alice shook her head. "My pregnancy was only confirmed yesterday."

"I'll make sure you're booked in for an ultrasound," said Edward. "We want to know how far along you are."

"I think about two months. I haven't had period in that time and I usually never miss one."

"Well, the ultrasound will tell us for sure," said Bella. "I'm going to enjoy watching you get bigger." The two of them giggled and were joined by Rosalie.

After that the talk was dominated by babies, until Rosalie announced that she and Emmett needed to leave to let the babysitter get home.

When Bella announced that she would be going as well, Alice asked if Edward would see her out as she needed to speak to Carlisle.

Edward looked at his sister with suspicion. He knew what the minx was up to, yet a part of him wanted nothing more than to be alone with Bella, even for a few moments.

"Oh, that's okay, Al. I'll see myself out," insisted Bella.

Before he could think about it, Edward found himself piping up. "No, it's no problem. I insist." He watched as she said goodnight to everyone, impatient to get her alone. _And what do you think you're going to do? You don't even know if she's attracted to you?_

Heart beating rapidly, he followed Bella out, shutting the front door behind him. They walked silently to her car, the atmosphere thick. When she got to her car, Bella stopped and turned around. He heard her small gasp; she obviously hadn't realised just how close behind her he was. There were only a few inches between them and with her car behind her, Bella wasn't able to step back.

Edward looked at her face, and saw her eyes darken with an unnamed emotion. Was she as affected as him by their proximity? He felt, rather than saw her chest rise and fall quickly, as if she was having trouble inhaling.

Pulse racing, he was about to step back when her lips fell open and her watched her lick her bottom lip nervously. Only the tightest control stopped him from leaning forward and ravishing her mouth. He was strung so tight that he knew it wouldn't take much for his control to snap.

Harnessing all his restraint, he leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek. The feel of her satiny skin under his lips was almost his undoing. He closed his eyes as her delicate fragrance enveloped him like a lover's arms. Lingering for the briefest moment, Edward drew back and saw the stunned look in her face. With a thrill of triumph, he watched as her hand reached up and touched where his lips had been.

Without a word, he reached around for her door handle, careful not to touch her, and opened it. "Goodnight Bella," he said, his voice slightly husky with desire.

"Goodnight Edward," she replied in a whisper.

Edward stood in Alice's driveway and watched Bella drive away long after her car had disappeared out of sight, thinking about her reaction to his seemingly innocent kiss. What did it mean?


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I want to give all of you my deepest thanks for your wonderful words and support. The number of reviews for the last chapter just blew me away. Thanks to those who have added the story to their alerts and favourites. You guys rock!**

**On a different note I just want to let you know that the terms and procedures I'm using are Australian/British. I do realise that the American system is vastly different and that ideally this story should be set in Australia but the idea just didn't sit right with me. I couldn't honestly explain how everyone ended up in Australia! A lot of the story is based on my and my friends' experiences. I really wanted to write about a strong, caring Bella doing a job that I admire greatly (and yes midwives are extensively used in Australian hospitals). I hope that American readers can suspend reality while reading and still enjoy the story as it is a work of fiction. After all, vampires don't exist either - do they?**

Chapter 5

Hours later, Bella lay in bed, unable to sleep. Every so often, she would reach up and rub her cheek where Edward's lips had touched it. She imagined that she could still feel the tingles that had raced through her when he leaned forward and kissed her.

Rolling over onto her stomach, Bella pounded her pillow, trying to get the kiss out of her mind. _It was only a kiss on the cheek. That's all. He was only saying goodnight. Jacob kisses you goodbye all the time._

Jacob's kiss had never sent a shiver of desire down her spine like Edward's. Had never kept her awake at night, reliving every single second of the evening. Luckily she was working the night shift on Sunday so she could sleep in.

Finally, around 2am she drifted off to sleep. Edward haunted her thoughts even there, with Bella dreaming about him kissing her on the lips instead of her cheek. Her dreams got progressively more erotic as they went on, their kisses turning into much more.

The dim, grey light of a rainy November day filtered through Bella's window when she woke up. Looking at her bedside table, she noted that it was nearly 10.30am. Lying back against her pillow she yawned, not feeling at all rested. She looked down and saw her bedclothes all twisted around, testament to her restless sleep. Memories of what she had been doing with Edward in her dreams raced through her mind.

"Stop it! That's enough," she said aloud.

Ok, she was attracted to Edward. She felt breathless when he was in the same room and her pulse would start racing. She admitted that to herself, but she didn't know if he felt anything towards her. And she was not the type of woman to just throw herself at a guy.

Thinking about last night, she thought she had detected a spark of something in his eyes, especially when he leant down to kiss her cheek, but she couldn't be certain.

She had enjoyed watching him interact with his family, could see the close bond he had with them, despite having lived on the other side of the country for so long. She'd seen his sense of humour at dinner, easily parrying the others' teasing, giving as good as he got. And when he'd smiled at her, she'd had trouble breathing.

Her thoughts turned to Alice and she smiled. She was thrilled that Alice was pregnant. Bella knew that Alice and Jasper were planning to start a family in the near future and the fact that it had happened so soon was wonderful. Alice would make a great mother and Jasper a doting father. She would be sure to have Alice booked in for a check up and ultrasound this week.

Bella spent the day quietly, tidying up and getting her laundry done. She rang Jacob to see how he was. Jacob told her that he and his father had talked for a long time and that he was beginning to understand his father's reasons for not undergoing treatment. He still wasn't happy about it but he was trying to learn to accept his father's decision. Bella was relieved for Jacob's sake. Hopefully it would allow father and son to make the most of the time they had together. In the afternoon, Bella lay down to have a nap, a routine she always followed when she was working nights.

Arriving at work for the start of her shift, she was given a run down on the happenings of the ward since Friday. Bella was upset to find that Mrs Chan had lost her baby.

"What happened Sue?"

"Saturday afternoon she started bleeding heavily so we called Dr Haas in. He tried everything to stop the bleeding but there was nothing he could do. She spontaneously aborted the foetus around 7pm."

"Poor thing," sympathised Bella. "It's not unexpected I suppose because her placenta was completely covering the birth canal. How is she coping?"

"She's pretty distressed as you can imagine. Her mother's stayed with her most of the time as her husband's still at sea. Dr Haas did a D & C this morning."

Bella nodded at the mention of this common procedure when a woman miscarried. They were taken to surgery for a dilation and curette in order to ensure there was no foetal or placental matter left in her uterus that could lead to an infection. An infection of the uterus could render a woman infertile and care needed to be taken to avoid this.

"Has she been offered counselling?" asked Bella.

Sue nodded. "Yes, but she refused. I've given her the number anyway, in case she realises she needs to talk to someone after she leaves. She's been placed in the room furthest from the babies. It's just too distressing for her to see other women with their babies."

Bella sighed knowing that this was a common reaction by women who'd miscarried. They often felt like they didn't have the right to grieve as they often hadn't even looked pregnant when they'd lost their babies. But they needed to work through their loss just like any other grieving parent so Bella gently encouraged them to change their minds.

"When is she being discharged?"

"Dr Haas said she should be fine to go on Monday. Either he or Dr Cullen will discharge her if they see fit," replied Sue.

"I'll make sure I talk to her while she's here. Any other news?"

"Nothing much today. There's been three admissions over the weekend. Two boys and a girl. All healthy. One wants to go home tomorrow as this is her third and her other children are young. There shouldn't be any problem with that but that won't be on your shift anyway."

"Who's on call tonight?" Bella wasn't sure if Edward was on call as he wasn't officially supposed to start until tomorrow.

"Dr Haas. He's been on call this weekend. Shame. I wouldn't have minded the gorgeous Dr Cullen stalking these corridors on my shift," grinned Sue wickedly.

Bella smiled back, her heart not in it. She was stupidly disappointed that Edward wouldn't be coming in during the night. After tonight she wouldn't be in until Tuesday morning.

"Dr Haas is great," protested Bella half-heartedly.

"Oh I'm not saying he's not, but Dr Cullen, whew!" she laughed, pretending to fan herself. Sue had been happily married for over twenty years, with two teenage boys, so Bella knew she was kidding but it annoyed her. Not that she would let anyone know that. Bella laughed weakly as Sue put on her coat, grabbed her bag and left for the night.

Bella didn't mind the night shift as it was usually quiet, or as quiet as a maternity ward with newborns could be. Bella used the time to catch up on paperwork, make sure supplies were stocked and her favourite thing, cuddling restless babies. She often took the opportunity to chat with the new mothers who were often awake, answering their questions. The quiet of the night seemed to drop the barriers and new mother's often asked questions that they may not have raised otherwise. Usually to do with marital relations after giving birth. Bella didn't have first-hand experience but answered as well as she could. She always advised them to ask the doctor when they had their post-natal check up.

Beginning her rounds, she went into each room with a patient. If they were asleep she left them alone, otherwise she would carry out her checks. Entering one room, she introduced herself to the new mother.

"Hello Mrs Watson," she said, looking at the woman's chart. "How are you feeling?"

Mrs Watson smiled tiredly at Bella. She had her baby in her arms, trying to get him to sleep. "Simon's decided night time is for crying." To prove her words, the baby began grizzling, looking for a nipple. "I've tried feeding him but it's not working. I'm getting so sore."

"Can you try again for me? I just want to see if he's latching on properly. If not, he'll be sucking too hard, tiring himself out before he's full and you'll get really sore nipples," said Bella sympathetically.

Nodding, Mrs Watson offered her breast to the infant, his little mouth opening greedily, searching for his feed.

Bella leaned forward and gently pried his mouth open, releasing the suction on his mother's nipple. "You need to make sure that his mouth covers the entire nipple, not just the tip. Ideally, your areola shouldn't be visible. That way he doesn't have to work so hard for his food and your nipples will be grateful." Bella helped her latch her son on properly, who promptly began suckling.

"What if I don't have enough milk?" Mrs Watson asked anxiously.

"That's why we weigh the babies several times a day. They can lose weight very quickly which could be caused by not enough milk. Also, we need to check their nappies and make sure they're wetting them regularly. If both of these look normal, then you won't have any problems."

"What about formula?"

"Of course, breast milk is the best food for your baby but if you decide that you want to bottle feed, most commercial brands of formula are fine. You may need to try a couple to see which one you prefer," advised Bella.

Mrs Watson looked down at her son. "Will I be a bad mother if I prefer not to breast feed?" she whispered.

"Of course not. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. There are many reasons why babies aren't breastfed and your baby will be just as healthy and happy with formula milk. And you will bond just as well with your baby. It'll also give dad a chance to bond with him as well. It's your body and your choice. If you do decide to bottle feed, make sure you're shown how to sterilise the equipment properly and how to make the formula up properly. Too thick formula can make a baby constipated and be in pain, too thin and he won't get the nutrients he needs."

Mrs Watson nodded, clearly weighing up her options. Bella left her to finish her feed and continued on. Walking to the very end of the ward, she looked into Mrs Chan's room. She saw the woman lying on her side, tears rolling down her face.

Walking up to her, Bella gently laid a hand her shoulder, wanting to offer her some comfort. Mrs Chan looked up at her, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

"I'm so sorry about your baby, Mrs Chan," said Bella. "Is there anything I can do for you? Anything I can get you?"

The woman just shook her head and gave a small hiccup. "Why did this happen? What did I do wrong?" she cried.

Rubbing her shoulder, Bella answered her painful question. "You did nothing wrong. It's just one of those unfortunate things. There's no explanation for it. You mustn't ever blame yourself."

"Will it happen again? What if it happens again?"

"The chances of it happening again is extremely unlikely. And you would be scanned very early in the pregnancy just in case," replied Bella.

Mrs Chan sniffled. "I don't know that I could do this again. Get pregnant. I'm too scared."

"Mrs Chan. I know you think you don't need to talk to someone, but please believe me when I say that it would be the best thing for you to do. You need to grieve and process what happened when you're ready. You lost your baby, a baby you loved even though you never met him or her and you need to grieve that loss. You need support to work through it. Please, think about it. The support group is made up of people who have lost their babies too. You can talk to them about how you feel and they'll understand, because they've been there too. Just think about it when you feel you're ready, ok?"

The other woman just nodded, her cheeks still wet with tears.

"Would you like something to help you sleep?" asked Bella. She doubted that Mrs Chan had gotten much sleep the night before.

Mrs Chan nodded and Bella gave her a light sedative, just so that she could relax and hopefully get some sleep. "If you need anything, or you need to talk, please press the buzzer, ok?"

She left Mrs Chan to her thoughts and finished her rounds. The rest of the night passed uneventfully and Bella was glad to get home and get some sleep.

Walking into the unit on Tuesday, virtually the first person she saw was Edward. Two days away hadn't diminished his effect on her in any way. If anything, she was even more aware of him than before, especially after Saturday night and her subsequent dreams of him.

"Hi Bella," his green eyes smiled at her.

"H...hi Edward," she replied, pushing open the staff room door.

"How have you been?" he asked as she put her coat and bag away in her locker. "Did you enjoy yourself on Saturday night?"

What did Bella say? The truth? _No, because I was so aware of you all night that I couldn't relax and yes, because I can't stop thinking about you?_ No, better not.

"Ah...yes. It was lovely. I'm really happy for Alice," she replied instead.

"Yeah, great news. I had Elaine book her in on Thursday for her ultrasound and check up."

"That's good. What about you? Did you enjoy it on Saturday?" _Why did I ask that?_

"Yes, it was fun," he replied. "You looked beautiful." He looked at her hair, tied up in its usual work bun. "You have beautiful hair, it seems a shame to put it up out of sight," he noted.

Bella felt the familiar tension she always had in his presence as his gaze roved over her hair and down her face, lingering on her mouth. _Say something_, she thought.

"Um...thanks. It's easier to handle if I tie it up, it gets in the way. I probably look all matronly like this," she said before mentally kicking herself. _Now he probably thinks I'm fishing for more compliments._

Edward shook his head, the corner of his mouth lifted in a slight smile. "I'd never describe you as matronly, Bella. That's probably the last word I'd associate with you," he said, looking intently at her.

Bella felt like a deer caught in the glare of headlights, she couldn't look away. "What word would you use?" she asked before she could think about it.

Edward's green eyes had darkened, and he was about to speak when the door opened and another nurse entered the room. Bella looked away, breaking the spell he seemed to cast over her. Telling her pulse to calm down she greeted the newcomer, who gave her a perfunctory hello before turning her attention to the handsome new doctor.

Bella used the opportunity to leave the room, hurrying to the nurse's station to get her handover. She needed to get her mind on her work and away from her fascination with Edward Cullen. Later she would think about his words.

Tuesday was clinic day and Bella saw that she was rostered to work with Edward. She was both pleased and dismayed. She would be too busy to dwell on her attraction but she would still feel the tension. Shrugging her shoulders, Bella got on with her work.

One of the first patients to be called was Carol Evans, who walked in pushing little Danielle in her pram.

"Hi Carol," said Bella, giving her a hug. "Hello Danielle," she cooed as she leaned over the pram. Straightening, she guided Carol to the chair. "How are you? How's everything going?"

"Pretty well, except I didn't realise I'd be so tired. Danielle wakes every two to three hours and I'm exhausted." The dark circles under her eyes gave testament to her words.

"You poor thing," sympathised Bella. "Is she feeding well? How's the breastfeeding going?"

Carol's eyes watered with both emotion and tiredness. "It's so hard. I didn't realise how hard it is. She seems to want to feed all the time, but then falls asleep for a while, wakes up and we start again. My nipples are raw. I dread her next feed because it hurts so much."

"Has your milk come in yet? I'm going to weigh her but does she seem to be putting on weight? She's only a week old but with the amount you say she drinks she should have put back the weight she lost plus a bit more," said Bella.

"I think so, but I can't be sure." Carol's voice cracked on the last words and she began crying.

Bella pulled up a chair beside her and put her arm around the other woman. "Carol, tell me what's bothering you."

"I...I...don't know. I just feel so...so...overwhelmed by everything," she sobbed. "And I feel horrible because I wanted a baby for so long and I feel like I'm doing everything wrong. I was so happy when she was born, and I love her like mad, but I'm so tired. Dave tries to help but he can't do much and Danielle wants to feed all the time. I feel like a failure and that I don't des...deserve her."

"Oh Carol, what you're feeling is perfectly normal," soothed Bella. Handing her a few tissues, she let Carol calm down before she continued.

"Carol, you had a baby a week ago. Your body is still recovering from its ordeal. You're probably still sore and now you're sore in places you never expected." Carol nodded. "Your hormones are racing all around the place, so you don't know if you're happy or sad most of the time. And on top of this, you're trying to get used to your baby and her needs and she's trying to cope with this new world she's been thrust into. None of this is helped by your lack of sleep which makes everything seem worse. Learning to deal with a newborn is one of a woman's most stressful times in their lives. But Carol, it does get better. The first few weeks are the worst but once you get into a routine, things will seem to fall into place. You're also probably suffering from the 'baby blues', due to those racing hormones I was telling you about."

Carol had stopped crying and was sitting looking at her baby. "When she's asleep I look at her and I fall in love with her all over again but when she's crying I feel like an idiot because I don't know what she wants and I can't seem to get it right."

"They don't come with handbooks, unfortunately. You'll learn to distinguish between her cries eventually, I promise. I know it's hard, but you need to get as much rest as possible. Sleep when she sleeps. Forget the housework, let Dave look after it. Accept your family's help when offered and most importantly talk to Dave when you're feeling overwhelmed. Also, I'm going to give you the number for the baby health clinic who can give you all sorts of advice. They will monitor Danielle to ensure she reaches certain age milestones, see that's she's progressing well and help with any concerns you have. Your paediatrician can help you too." She reached out and took Carol's hand. "Things will get easier but you must talk to someone if you feel you can't cope. We don't want you slip into a depression and if you do, we need to treat it quickly for your sake and your family's. Ok?"

Carol nodded. "Thanks Bella. I just felt that I needed to be happy all the time because I got what I wanted so badly and now..."

"What you're feeling is normal. I would be more worried if you didn't feel overwhelmed."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one," said Carol.

"No, you're certainly not. When Danielle's a little older maybe you could join a playgroup. It would allow you to meet other mother's who are or have been through the same thing. You would certainly learn a few tricks on child rearing and make new friends."

"Yeah, it sounds a good idea. I'm feeling a little better already, but boy, could I do with a few hours sleep."

"Have you thought about expressing your milk? You can get the equipment at any chemist and it would allow Dave to feed Danielle during the night, at least for one feed, allowing you to get a few hours uninterrupted sleep."

Carol looked thoughtfully at Bella. "No, I hadn't thought of that. It's a great idea. I do seem to have a lot of milk. Look my boobs!"

Bella laughed, pleased that Carol's mood was picking up. "If you express often, you can store enough milk to maybe let Dave take every second feed. Breast milk can also be frozen so you can have a supply when needed. The baby clinic can give you instructions on how best to store it and how long you can keep it." At Carol's nod, she suggested she get on with her checks on her and Danielle before she went in to see Edward.

Throughout the rest of the clinic, Edward would ask Bella questions on the various patients before he called them in. A number of times, they would accidentally touch hands as they exchanged patient files, each touch causing a spear of feeling to race through her.

The clinic was just ending and Bella was gathering files together, the door to Edward's room open, when one of the unit's administrators came rushing in.

"Bella! Can I have a word with you please? I need to ask a big favour," she said.

"Sure Rita. What is it?"

"Bella, can you take the antenatal class tonight? It's a new batch of parents and you'll need to hold the class for the whole four weeks."

Bella nodded. "Sure, but what's happened to Margaret?" Margaret Sammutt took the hospital's antenatal classes and had done so for years. Bella had taken over the odd class when she had been sick or on holiday.

"Margaret was in a car accident this morning." Hearing Bella's gasp of shock, she rushed to reassure her. "She's ok except that she got a broken leg and arm and won't be able to work for at least six weeks."

"Poor thing. I'll have to go and see her later." Bella reassured the administrator that the class would run as normal and decided she needed to get a few things prepared. Trying to work out what she needed, she didn't notice Edward behind her until he spoke.

"Bella?" his silky voice seemed to caress her name.

Turning, she was close enough to notice the gold flecks in his eyes. "Ah...y...yes?"

"Can I come to the class tonight?"

"Why?" asked Bella, perplexed. "The doctor's don't usually come." At his slight frown, she continued. "I mean, it's fine if you want to but it's not necessary." She hoped she hadn't offended him with her reply, but he had surprised her with his request. No other doctor had wanted to go to an antenatal class.

"I know it's not necessary, but I'd like to come. I can introduce myself and I can answer any questions they may have that you can't answer."

It all sounded very reasonable but Bella was still surprised. "Ok, if that's what you want. The class starts at 6pm in the teaching room near the admin offices. I'll have to go and make sure it's set up."

Edward nodded. "I'm not sure where that is, but I can walk down with you, if that's ok?"

"Um...sure."

Edward smiled warmly at her, sending the tingles flying again, before gathering his notes and heading back to his office. He would record his findings for Elaine to transcribe and send to the patients and their doctors.

Bella took the opportunity to get something to eat now that she wouldn't be leaving until at least 7.30pm. After eating a hurried sandwich she went across to the teaching room to set up. Getting the key to the store room from one of the secretaries, she pulled out the beanbags and the pamphlets and writing equipment she would need. The projector was set up, with the information on the computer which was connected to it.

She was in the staffroom having a cup of tea when Edward walked in ten minutes before the class. Their eyes met and held for a few charged moments. Bella realised she wasn't just imagining the tension between them, it was real and strong.

Pulling her eyes away from his, Bella stood up and went to wash her cup. She could still feel Edward's eyes on her and forced herself to say something to break the silence.

"Ready to meet the class, Edward?" she asked, her back to him

When he spoke, his voice was directly behind her, close enough to send a shiver through her body. "Yeah, should be fun."

Taking a step to the side she turned and looked at him. His eyes were hooded, assessing. Bella knew she wouldn't have to lean too far to be able to kiss his lips, aching to do it. Instead, she turned from temptation and started towards the door.

"Let's go. I've got everything set up and they should be arriving soon," she said over her shoulder.

The first two couples were already there when Bella and Edward entered the room. Edward had taken off his coat and loosened his tie when Bella told him the classes were very informal with the aim of making everyone comfortable and relaxed.

The others wandered in and soon the five expectant mothers were all there with their birth partners. Three had their husband or the baby's father, while another had her mother and the other her friend.

Bella introduced herself and Edward then got everyone to introduce themselves before giving them a quick rundown on what would be covered over the next four Tuesdays.

"The first two weeks will be mainly on what happens during the labour and birth as well as techniques to help you cope with the pain. We'll also discuss your options for pain relief and decisions you may need to make as well as preparing a birth plan. It's unpleasant, but we'll talk about things that can go wrong and what happens in that event. The second two weeks are about caring for yourselves and your babies, before, during and after the birth. This will also include a tour of the birthing suites so that you see what to expect if you haven't been there already. Please, at any time you have questions don't be afraid to ask them because chances are, someone else here will probably be wondering the same thing. Usually we don't have a doctor in this class so please use this opportunity to ask Dr Cullen anything you're wondering about."

"Are you married Dr Cullen?" piped up one the mothers, a cheeky grin on her face.

Everyone, Bella included, burst out laughing at the surprised look on his face. Realising the joke was on him, Edward laughed along and the ice was broken.

The class began, with all the participants listening intently, asking questions and with a good deal of laughter. The couples and their birth partners got to know each other. Towards the end of the class Bella asked if there were any more questions before they left.

One of the fathers raised his hand. "Um, how long after the baby's born can we...you know...do it?" His wife turned to him and gave him a slap on the arm, making everyone laugh.

"I bet you other men were wondering the same thing, weren't you?" Edward chuckled as they nodded sheepishly. "Bella will cover that in the last session but generally you can resume relations after six weeks, depending on your partner of course. She'll have a six week check up to ensure everything's back to normal then you can go for it."

"We'll probably be too tired to do anything anyway," said the man's wife.

"So you'd better help mom with the babies and the chores, if you know what's good for you," warned Bella teasingly.

"Well if you looked like Dr Cullen, I doubt tiredness would be a problem," teased another woman.

Bella looked at Edward and saw him blush. Edward Cullen was actually blushing at the risqué teasing of a pregnant mother! She couldn't help it, she laughed along with the others even though she was secretly agreeing with the woman.

Taking pity on him, Bella brought the class to a close, assisting in getting the pregnant women's bulky bodies to their feet.

"Oh, I'll be glad when I don't feel like an elephant again," complained one as she got to her feet. "I'll be needing a crane to help me up soon."

Bella commenced gathering the bean bags and putting them in the storeroom, helped by Edward.

"That was fun. I enjoyed that," he said as he carried empty cups to the dishwasher.

"Yeah it was. That's a good group. Some groups can be really reserved and it takes a couple of classes to get them to feel comfortable. There wasn't anything shy about some of them," she laughed.

"No, especially when I'm the butt of their jokes," he chuckled, shaking his head.

Between them, it didn't take long to restore the room to order. Bella locked the door and left the key in the locked box near reception. Edward was the first to speak.

"I don't know about you, but I'm starving. How about we go get some dinner?"

Bella faltered mid-step, her breath trapped in her lungs as she heard his question. _Dinner? With Edward? Oh god, I don't know if I can handle being alone with him away from here?_ But she badly wanted to go anyway.

"Um...sure. What do you suggest?"

He grinned at her assent. "Well, I've got a hankering for a pizza with everything on it. Do you have any recommendations?"

"Yeah, there's a good pizza place in town."

"How about I follow you there?"

"O.. ok. I'll go get my things and I'll meet you in the car park, ok?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you in five minutes," he said. They'd walked back to the maternity unit and Edward turned to go to his office to lock up.

Bella's mind and pulse were in a whirl as she collected her things. _Settle down Bella, it's not a date. It's just two colleagues grabbing a bite to eat after work. That's all. Don't read anything else into it._

She told herself this over and over as she waited for him in the car park, but the moment she saw him she felt like a schoolgirl going on her first date with a long time crush. She wished she was wearing something a bit more alluring than her work clothes, before chiding herself.

"Ready?" When she nodded he pointed out his car, a silver Volvo. "Where's your car? So I know which car to follow."

Bella pointed to her red Toyota. "It's not far and traffic's light at this time so you won't lose me."

"I hope not," he murmured before walking to his car.

What did he mean by that? Dismissing it, she got in her car and drove to the pizza place, keeping an eye in the rearview mirror to make sure he was following.

They were directed to a table for two and placed their orders. Bella's heart was racing as she looked at him. In this light, he was even more handsome, his face thrown into shadows in the dim light, his cheekbones and square jaw highlighted.

Edward's eyes roamed over her hair. "Why don't you let your hair down? I'm sure that's probably the first thing you do when you get home, isn't it?"

Bella smiled. "That and kick my shoes off. But I'm not doing that here," she laughed. In truth, she did let her hair down as soon as she left, usually in the car. With a small shrug, she stood up. "I'll be back in a moment."

She felt his eyes on her back the whole way to the ladies' room. As she took the pins out and brushed out her hair, she looked at her face. Turning on the cold water, she dabbed her cheeks with a tissue, trying to cool her heated skin. Taking a deep breath, she left the room and went back to their table.

As she sat, she saw his eyes darken as he looked at her hair, its red highlights visible in the dim light.

"So, how have you found your first week here?" she asked, needing to break the silence.

"I've really enjoyed it. Everyone's been great and welcoming. I'm enjoying the change of pace, I must admit. My old hospital was really hectic all the time and being in such a large city we saw so many different types of people, not all of them good."

"We do have problems, just like any other community, you know?" warned Bella.

"Of course. But I doubt I'll be seeing so much of the dark side of humanity here. It was everyday there. Everyday we'd see a drug-addicted mother, or a pregnant young girl. Then there were the ones that didn't give a damn about their baby or pregnant prostitutes that you knew wouldn't look after their babies properly. I never really got used to these sorts of things, but I had to learn not to let it get to me."

"I know, it's awful isn't it? It just doesn't seem right when there are people who would give anything to have a baby while other's just harm themselves and their innocent babies by their own reckless behaviour," agreed Bella.

"Exactly. The extremes some people will go to in order to have a baby is incredible. I hated seeing a drug addict mother come in, knowing that poor baby would suffer so much during its withdrawal from whatever drug its mother was hooked on. It makes me want to shake them and show them what a precious gift they've been given and how could they harm something so innocent."

Bella looked at him, fascinated by the passion in his words. And the fact that she agreed totally with everything he said.

"Sorry. I'm ranting. Just, some things make me so angry," he apologised.

"No, don't apologise. I agree with everything you said. As I said, we do get our problems here. It's not perfect but hopefully you won't see anything like the number you saw before. I'm glad that you have such strong feelings. It shows that you care about the patients, especially those babies."

Edward nodded. "Yeah, I love babies. I can't wait for Alice to have hers."

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him if he wanted some of his own, but thought better of it. It would sound like she was offering to have them with him. Not that the prospect was distasteful. Far from it.

"She'll make such a cute mother. And it'll be the best dressed baby on the Olympic Peninsula," she joked.

"On the west coast, you mean!" replied Edward. They were still laughing when their pizzas arrived.

"Mmm, that smell's heavenly," declared Bella, taking in the aroma of her pizza, her eyes closed in pleasure. When she opened her eyes, she caught Edward watching her reaction intently.

Taking a bite of his pizza, Edward groaned in delight. "Wow, that is a really great pizza," he said, eagerly taking another one. "You were right, they make a great pizza here."

After that, they ate their pizzas, with only the occasional word being spoken. Full, Bella pushed the rest away and leaned back in her seat. She had about half her pizza left but saw that Edward only had a couple of pieces.

"Ah...that certainly hit the spot," he said, wiping his mouth. "Thanks for showing me this place, Bella."

"You're welcome. They'll put the rest in a box for us to take with us."

Surprisingly, Bella was feeling relaxed in his presence. Still massively aware of him, but more comfortable, able to converse naturally. She asked him if he'd found a place to live and he told her about the house Esme had found for him.

"Alice and Mom have been busily in cahoots deciding how to decorate the place. Should I be worried?"

Bella chuckled at the mock terror on his face. "No, I know they'll do a great job."

"I know. I'm just waiting for them to tell me I have to move out while they work their magic."

_You can move in with me_.

Engrossed in their conversation, Bella was surprised when Edward looked at his watch and declared that it was probably time to go. "You must be tired after such a long day."

Truth be told, Bella couldn't remember feeling so energised. It was his presence, his company that was doing it. Nodding her head, she reluctantly agreed. She would be happy to stay here all night talking to him.

Edward insisted on paying their bill despite Bella's protests. "You can buy dinner next time."

Next time. Was he planning on a next time? How soon? Where? _Cut it out Bella! Stop acting like a teenager._

Holding their pizza boxes, Edward walked Bella to her car and waited while she unlocked it. Taking her pizza from him, she put it in the car and closed the door.

Edward put his pizza on the roof of her car and stepped closer to her. Bella's heart began racing at his proximity and the look in his eyes. He was looking intently at her lips and when his hand reached up and took hold of a few strands of her hair in his fingers, her breath hitched in her throat.

"I enjoyed dinner," he murmured huskily.

Bella could only nod in reply, her voice having disappeared.

"I'd better go." Looking into her eyes, he lowered his head and gently placed his lips on hers.

Bella thought she would melt in a heap as every nerve in her body seemed to react to his touch. She opened her mouth and he increased the pressure of his kiss. Closing her eyes, she returned the kiss, their lips moving over each other slowly. When she felt the tip of his tongue brush over her lips, she gave a soft moan of pleasure. In need of support, she placed her hands on his shoulders, vaguely aware of his hands on her waist.

She didn't know how long the kiss lasted, but wanted to protest when he lifted his head and stepped back.

"Goodnight Bella. I'll wait while you get in the car," he said, his voice husky with desire.

A desire Bella felt in return. Oh god, that kiss was incredible. "Bye, Edward. Thanks for dinner." She was surprised her voice still worked. Walking around the car, she opened the door.

"See you tomorrow, Bella."

She nodded, still in a daze. He waited while she started the car and drove off. She watched him in the rear view mirror, driving home slowly. Her lips felt swollen and she touched them, still feeling the velvety softness of his.

She couldn't wait for tomorrow.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: I love hearing from you so leave me your reviews :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's following this story. Your awesome reviews simply blow me away. Thanks for all your support and encouragement. **

**Also, a big thank you to MrsKatyCullen for betaing this for me as usual.**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 6

Bella went into work rather bleary-eyed the next morning. For much of the night she kept reliving every single moment of her time with Edward. Every look, every word, that kiss. Everything. It was like her brain was on a loop and was on constant replay.

Edward Cullen had kissed her. The reality seemed so unbelievable that she kept repeating it over and over. Edward Cullen had kissed her. Edward. Cullen. Had. Kissed. Her.

"Oh my god! Edward Cullen kissed me!" she said aloud to the empty room.

A kisses went, Edward's had been fairly chaste but she had felt the jolt of desire as his lips touched hers down to the tips of her toes. Only the fact that Edward had stepped back had stopped her from pressing her body against his to ease the ache that his kiss had instantly caused.

Bella lay in her bed and daydreamed about Edward taking the kiss further. She pictured him working his lips down her body, driving her insane with desire before making love to her. Sleep eluded her as her daydreams got more and more explicit as the night wore on.

She didn't remember finally falling asleep but the alarm went off way before she was ready for it. Her eyes felt heavy and grainy from lack of sleep. Dragging herself to the shower, she deliberately turned on the cold water, gasping in shock at the first icy drops. She withstood the cold for as long as she could before turning on the hot water. It did the trick though. She was wide awake, if not exactly refreshed.

As she dressed, Bella wished that she was able to put on something a little more...alluring. The hospital uniform wasn't exactly designed to inspire lustful thoughts. A good thing, giggled Bella to herself. It wouldn't do to make sick people's blood pressure rise by walking around in skimpy outfits!

To Bella's intense disappointment, she barely saw Edward all day anyway. As well as the two scheduled c-sections, Edward was meeting with another local obstetrician who delivered his patients in the hospital. Edward had been approached by the OB to run clinics out of his practice.

Bella only saw Edward briefly just before lunch when they ran into each other as he walked back to his office to get his coat.

Edward smiled widely as he saw her. "Hi Bella. I really enjoyed dinner last night. All of it." He looked at her mouth as he said this then looked into her eyes.

Heart thumping wildly, she replied. "Me too."

"I need to go. I'm meeting with Harold Moresby in ten minutes," he explained with a wry smile.

Nodding, Bella watched him walk off, feeling totally deflated. _What did you think would happen? You're at work, there's people everywhere. Did you think he would kiss you again here?_ She knew she was being silly but just being near him would have been good.

Still feeling rather down when she left for the day, she drove to Charlie's house. Stopping off at her apartment for a lasagne she'd made on Monday, she took the food for her father. Pulling up in his drive, she saw Jacob's car already there.

Inside, Jacob was there with Billy. Bella ran her eye over Billy and noted that he had lost some weight but otherwise still looked the same. Jacob got up and gave Bella a hug.

"Hey Jake. How are things with you?" she asked, looking at him meaningfully.

Jacob just shrugged his shoulders and smiled, a little sadly. "As well as can be expected, I suppose."

Turning to Billy, she gave him a hug. "How are you feeling Billy?"

"Oh, I'm okay, Bella. Doc's given me tablets for the headaches but other than that, I actually feel pretty good. I know it's probably not for long but I'll enjoy it while it lasts."

"Yeah, that's good. Hi Dad," she greeted her father who came out of the kitchen carrying more beers.

"Hi Bels. How was work today?"

"Oh, the usual. No babies named after me today," she joked.

"How many's that now?" asked Billy.

"So many, I've lost count. I think every second baby is named Bella, including the boys," she replied, deadpan.

As they laughed, she carried the lasagne into the kitchen where she was joined by Jacob.

"How is Billy, really?" she asked as she put the lasagne in the oven.

Jacob leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. "Like he said, he's feeling pretty good at the moment. He wants to go up to Canada and go fishing. He says it something he's been wanting to do for ages. Now that he's got limited time, he going to do it while he still feels well enough."

"Are you going with him?"

"Of course. Tom can run the business while we we're gone. It'll only be a week or so. I want to spend as much time with Dad while he's here."

"That sounds like a great idea, Jake. I'm glad that you're helping make his time left as enjoyable as possible," said Bella warmly.

"I'm just living each day as it comes. I'm trying not to think about the future. I'll deal with it as it comes."

Bella nodded. "When are you planning on going?"

"In a couple of weeks, probably early December. Dad has a hankering to try ice fishing. Quil has a relative up there who can take us out on the ice and guide us. That way we'll be back well before Christmas."

"Sounds like fun, if you're into fishing," she smiled as she set the table. "You and Billy staying to eat? There's plenty. I was going to freeze the leftovers for Dad to eat another day."

"Sure, sounds good." He took the plates from her and set the table.

The four had a pleasant meal and Jacob offered to wash up afterward. "It's only fair Bella," he said as she protested.

Bella drove home in a better mood than before. It wasn't like Edward was avoiding her or anything, his brief words telling her that. She would see him tomorrow. And Alice was coming in for her first ultrasound.

Putting on her sweatpants, she was laying on the sofa reading when her phone rang. Wondering who the caller was as it wasn't on her phone list, she answered.

"Hello, Bella?"

The sound of his honeyed voice in her ear, even through the phone, sent a shiver up her spine.

"Yes," she replied.

"It's Edward."

She already knew that but wasn't about to admit it.

"Um...hi Edward. How did you get my number?" she asked curiously.

"Alice gave it to me. I'll never hear the end of it, but I don't care," he chuckled.

Bella giggled, intrigued by what excuse Edward had given Alice for needing her number.

"Bella, I rang because I didn't get to see you at all today, and I wanted to ask you something. I didn't really want to ask at work anyway."

"What was it? What did you want to ask me?" she asked, heart thumping excitedly.

"Bella, I wanted to ask if you would like to go out with me on Friday night? A proper date."

Bella lay back on her couch, her hand over her pounding heart as she processed his words. _Edward wants to go out with me. On a date. Maybe he'll kiss me again._

"Bella? I understand if you don't want to," he said, his voice quiet at her lack of response.

"Oh no! No, I'd love to go out with you Edward. You just surprised me, that's all," she explained.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since last night. Well, before that if I'm honest. I want to get to know you better. Away from the hospital."

"Me too. Thinking about you, I mean," she admitted.

"I'm glad," he said, his voice full of meaning. "I missed seeing you today."

Oh god, his words and voice were doing incredible things to her. "I...I missed talking to you too," she admitted huskily.

"I wasn't going to get involved with a colleague, but I just can't resist getting to know you, Bella. You have the most incredible effect on me."

Bella understood what he was saying. He had made an impression the first instant she'd crashed into him, the attraction growing seemingly by the minute.

"I was never going to date a colleague, but I can't say no, either," she admitted.

Even through the phone, she could hear the increasing huskiness in his voice. "I can't wait until Friday. I can't wait until tomorrow, when I'll see you again."

"I know what you mean," she said, her voice slightly breathless. "Edward, can we keep this to ourselves? I don't want the other's gossiping."

"We can try to be discreet, although I doubt we can keep anything a secret in a small town like Forks."

"I suppose so." She frowned at the thought of being the object of hospital gossip, but decided being with Edward, seeing where this attraction went, was worth it.

"If you want to back out, it's ok," said Edward, regret in his voice.

"No! I don't want to back out. Not at all," she reassured him.

"You can't know how glad I am about that. I'd better let you go," he said.

Bella could have talked to him all night but gave him her address instead. They agreed on a time for him to pick her up and he rang off, but not before wishing her sweet dreams in that, oh so sexy voice of his.

Lying on the couch, the phone close to her heart, Bella recalled every single word of their conversation. She was having trouble believing that Edward Cullen, the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen, who had women everywhere sighing as he walked past, wanted to go out with her. Get to know her better. Hadn't been able to stop thinking about her.

She thought about his kiss last night and wondered, hoped, that it would be repeated. What to wear? Did she dress up or did she dress casually? Where was he taking her? In her daze while talking to him, she hadn't thought to ask. Oh well, she'd find a private moment tomorrow to ask him.

The phone rang again and for a heart-stopping moment she thought Edward had realised his mistake and was ringing to cancel.

"Hello?"

"Bella, did Edward ring you already?"

It was Alice. Bella should have known. Alice's brain must have been ticking away with possibilities when Edward asked for her phone number. Bella considered teasing Alice and telling her the call was strictly work related but decided against it. Alice would worm the truth out of her with ease. Alice could do that.

"Yes Alice, he rang."

"So, what did he want?" asked Alice, the curiosity in her voice audible over the phone.

"Nothing much," parried Bella.

"Bella! Come on, tell me. Did he ask you out?"

"Ok Alice, calm down. Yes, Edward asked me out on Friday," replied Bella, putting Alice out of her misery.

"Yay! I knew you two would be perfect for each other," declared Alice triumphantly.

"Alice, we're only going out to dinner."

"It's a start. I saw the way you two looked at each other last Saturday. Edward couldn't keep his eyes off you all night. It reminded me of the way Jasper looks at me."

"Don't be ridiculous Alice. Jasper worships the ground you walk on."

"Just you wait. I have a good feeling about you two. I'd love to have you as a sister-in-law."

"Alice!" choked Bella. That girl was simply incorrigible.

"What? Edward is my only brother and I want to see him with someone who deserves him. And you do. He's never been seriously involved with anyone, at least no-one that I know of. It's about time that changed."

"Alice, don't push, ok? We need to get to know each other. We might not suit."

"Oh come on Bella! The sexual chemistry between the two of you on Saturday was enough to set the house on fire. It was so obvious that after everyone left, I practically dragged Jasper to bed."

Bella couldn't help it. She burst out laughing. Alice joined in, the two of them laughing for ages.

"Alice, you are impossible. You must have been a horror of a child," chuckled Bella.

"Yeah, I turned Mom's hair grey. The colour you see now is straight out of the bottle," she joked. "Seriously though, I hope things work out with you and Edward."

"How about you let us find out for ourselves, without pressure?"

"Oh ok. But I will ask for details."

"I may not give them to you," countered Bella.

"Spoilsport. I'll see you tomorrow at the hospital, I hope?"

"Yeah, I'll be there. Wouldn't miss it."

"Jasper and I are so excited. We didn't think I'd fall pregnant this quickly, we thought it would take heaps of practice. Not that we're not perfect in that department already."

Bella giggled. "Jasper must be a bit of stud then?"

"Tell me about it," replied Alice cheekily. "I swear, that man can get me pregnant just by looking at me."

"You may have to donate him to science, Al."

"Maybe when I've finished with him," laughed Alice.

They said their goodbyes, Bella still laughing. Alice could be exasperating but she could always be counted on to bring a smile to her face. She was like a naughty but loveable child that you just couldn't say no to.

Bella got into bed and thought about something Alice had said. That Edward hadn't had a serious relationship. Was that true? Or did Alice just not know about one. Bella found it hard to believe that Alice wouldn't have wormed the truth out of Edward somehow. And if he hadn't, why? Was he afraid of commitment? Did he prefer to play the field? Or had he just been too busy? Was she destined to be another passing fling? How did she feel about that?

Deciding that she couldn't make a judgement until she found out a bit more about him, she told herself to stop thinking about it. _Just take it one step at a time, Bella. Let's see where things go._

Driving into work the next morning, Bella's nerves were jumping in anticipation of seeing Edward. She'd spent most of the night dreaming and reliving his kiss. And after last night's call, how would he act?

If they didn't want to raise eyebrows, at least until they were seen out together, as surely they would be, they would have to act circumspectly around each other at work. Bella was not the type to act anything less than professionally, and she doubted that Edward was any less professional. Still, their burgeoning...friendship...for lack of a better word would add spice to the work day.

She was alone at the nurse's station reading through last night's notes when the sound of footsteps intruded on her concentration. Looking up, her eyes collided with Edward's and it seemed that her world began spinning off its axis.

Edward's green eyes were warm as he smiled at her, a sexy, secret smile that hinted at secrets only they knew.

"Hi Bella," he greeted her huskily as he moved close enough to touch her arm with the briefest of caresses, before standing a respectable distance away from her.

That touch and the look in his eyes had Bella wanting to melt in a puddle on the floor in front of him. The fire that raced from where his skin had touched hers was threatening to consume her, leaving her legs decidedly shaky. Okay, so it was going to be harder to act normal than she'd thought.

"Hi," she replied with what voice she could muster.

"I enjoyed talking to you last night. I kept thinking about what you said and it made it hard to get to sleep."

"Um...me too."

"I can't wait for tomorrow, but seeing you today makes the waiting easier."

Oh god! Was he deliberately trying to seduce her with his words? If so, it was working.

"Edward...I..." She didn't know what to say. Her brain had stopped functioning normally the moment he'd touched her.

"It's alright, I'll behave. I promise." He looked around to see if they were within earshot of anyone else before whispering. "I really want to kiss that beautiful mouth of yours."

"Gah..." was all she could choke out. He _was_ trying to seduce her and at this moment, she badly wanted to _be_ seduced.

Edward chuckled at her expression then left to go back to his office. Bella just sat there, trying to get her head around his words. She probably had some goofy expression on her face. She pulled herself together and hoped that to anyone else they had looked like they were discussing some medical issue.

Alice came in with Jasper for her appointment, the two of them holding hands. Bella smiled when she saw them. They really were so cute together.

"Hi Alice, Jasper," she greeted as they entered the room, giving them each a hug. "Ready to see the baby for the first time?"

"Oh yes," replied Alice, bouncing in her chair as she usually did when she was excited.

"Now today is only to see how far along you are. You'll have another scan around eighteen weeks where you may be able to find out what sex the baby is, if you want."

Alice looked at Jasper who shook his head. "Jasper doesn't want to find out. He wants it to be a surprise."

"That's up to you guys, I'm just letting you know that it's possible."

Edward came outside of the consulting room and hugged his sister before shaking hands with Jasper.

"So Squirt. We're going to find out how old junior squirt is?"

"Stop calling me that! You know I hate it," complained Alice before looking at Bella. "That's why he does it you know."

Edward just winked at Bella, an action Alice immediately spotted. "So, where are you taking her Edward?"

"Come in to the room guys. You too Bella," said Edward, ignoring Alice's question.

Alice sat down with Jasper before speaking. "You're avoiding my question Edward. Where are you taking Bella?"

"Alice, we don't want everyone to know our business yet, ok?" said Edward sternly. "And I haven't decided yet. I was going to ask your advice," he admitted, looking sheepishly at Bella.

"I'll give you some suggestions later," said Alice.

"Shall we get started?" asked Edward pointedly. Bella felt like giggling at the siblings' expressions as they looked at each other.

Bella commenced taking notes as Edward began asking Alice and Jasper questions on their medical histories. He asked Jasper if there were any known genetic problems in his family that he knew of. Jasper replied in the negative. Of course, he already knew Alice's answer.

"Ok, going by your answers, I estimate that you are probably around 8 to 9 weeks pregnant but the ultrasound will be more accurate and will give us an expected due date. Bella can you do her weight and blood pressure while I get the machine ready?"

Bella nodded and got Alice to stand on the scales. "We need to weigh you every time you come in for a check up to ensure you're not putting on too much weight. It's not for any fashionable reason," she explained as Alice opened her mouth to speak. "It's just that too rapid weight gain can be an indicator of other problems, such as pre-eclampsia."

"What's that?" asked Jasper this time, listening intently.

"It's a condition that happens occasionally to pregnant women when their blood pressure increases sharply. If it's going to happen it will usually be in the third trimester. If a mother's blood pressure is too high it can restrict blood flow to the placenta, meaning the baby is at risk and it's dangerous for the mother as well. That's why you need to attend each scheduled check up because we check your blood pressure, weight and do a urine test each time you come as they can show us if there's a problem developing."

"How do you fix it?" asked Alice.

"You can't. The mother will be told to rest as much as possible and to keep an eye on any swelling, headaches, dizziness that she may feel. The only way to cure it is to have the baby, even if it means delivering it by c-section early. In rare cases, it can develop into eclampsia which can be fatal."

Looking at their worried faces, Bella reassured them. "Look, it's unlikely to happen and as long as you don't miss appointments, any problems should be detected early and can be managed. Let's check your blood pressure then I'll get you to hop up on the bed."

Jasper helped Alice climb on the bed and Bella pulled up her top before smearing the gel over her belly. Edward ran the Doppler around her belly, looking for the foetus.

"Ah, here we go," said Edward as a small shape appeared on the screen. It didn't look like much more than a large dot. He took various measurements which were recorded on the screen.

"Alice, Jasper. From the measurements your baby is around 8 weeks and 4 days old and the estimated due date, according to this is July 20." He smiled at the beaming parents to be.

"Wow, a July baby," beamed Alice. "Jazz, we're going to be parents in July, can you believe it?"

Jasper leaned down and kissed his wife tenderly. "I can't wait."

As Bella cleaned off Alice, Edward continued giving them information. "During the pregnancy we do a number of screening tests. Today I'll be taking some blood so that we can find out your rhesus factor and to check your iron levels. If they're a bit low I'll give you iron tablets to take as the baby can deplete a mother's levels. I also recommend taking calcium as well."

"How often are the check-ups?"

"It's once a month until 32 weeks, then it's fortnightly until 36 weeks when you come in once a week until the baby's born. That's when problems like pre-eclampsia usually arise so regular checks are vital. We also want to check that baby's happy in there and avoid problems. At each check up we'll have a listen to the baby's heartbeat. I would let you listen today but the heartbeat's usually hard to detect until it's about 12 weeks along."

"I can't wait for that," said Alice excitedly.

"There is also the nuchal test or NT as we call it," continued Edward.

"What on earth's that?" asked Jasper curiously.

"It's a screen that may detect Down's Syndrome. It's an ultrasound that measures the fluid around the baby's neck and combined with a blood test it can predict the likelihood of Down's Syndrome."

"I thought only older mother's were at risk of that," said Alice.

"Technically, the older the mother the greater the risk but it's a fact that the majority of Down's Syndrome babies are born to younger mothers, simply because of the sheer weight of numbers. If the NT shows anything then you would be offered an amniocentesis or CVS, which takes a sample of the cord blood for a definitive diagnosis. Of course, these tests carry their own risks of miscarriage and it is always up to the parents if they want this test done."

Alice looked at Jasper. "Do I have to have this NT?" she asked.

"No, because of your age, it's up to you. If you do decide to have it, I'd suggest popping in next week and giving a blood sample so that it's been tested before the scan, which is generally done at 12 weeks."

Alice looked at Jasper before answering. "We'll have a talk about it and let you know what we decide."

Bella grabbed some reading material and handed it to Alice. "Just some information to read. Also, we run antenatal classes which are usually fun and informative. The brochures give details for booking in and such."

"I'm just so impatient to see my baby," laughed Alice.

"You'll have to wait the 40 or so weeks like everyone else, squirt," answered Edward.

"Oh well. We have some serious shopping to do, Jazz."

Jasper just groaned. "Oh god. Like she needs any other excuse to go shopping."

"Planning the nursery will keep me occupied while we're waiting for the baby. That and the store," pointed out Alice.

"Thinking of adding a maternity line?" asked Bella.

Alice's eyes opened wide as the idea struck. "Oh yes! Why didn't I think of that?" Grabbing Jasper's hand, she began making her way to the door. "Come on Jazz. I've got to start designing some kick-ass maternity clothes. Thanks for the idea Bella."

Bella could see Alice's brain working a million miles an hour. At least it took Alice's mind off her and Edward.

"Was she always like this?" asked Bella, shaking her head.

"Worse. She's calmed down since meeting Jasper," he laughed.

"Before I call in the next patient, can I ask you something, Edward?"

"Sure Bella." Since the door was ajar, Edward reached up and with his finger, gently pushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, lingering on the skin of her cheek.

Bella instantly had trouble with her breathing, her lips parting in an effort to get oxygen into her lungs. Somehow, she managed to squeeze her words out. "Where are we going tomorrow? Just so I know what to wear."

"I'm aiming for something relaxed and casual. I don't know about you, but at the end of the week I want to get out of ties and work clothes."

Nodding her head, Bella smiled. "Me too. I'm not really the dress up type."

Edward smiled back. "Why doesn't that surprise me? You don't need any embellishments anyway."

She blushed at his words.

"I love how you can still blush," said Edward.

"I hate it," replied Bella. "I shouldn't still be blushing at my age."

"It's charming. And sweet, like you," he murmured as his finger brushed her cheek again as if he couldn't stop himself.

"I...I'd better go back to work," declared Bella. _Before I beg you to make love to me._

Edward nodded and walked back to the desk while Bella made a quick exit. With great difficulty, Bella refocused on her work and the rest of the clinic ran smoothly. Throughout the rest of the day, Edward would give her a warm, private smile every time their paths crossed.

Each time it happened, her pulse would race and her breathing would get erratic and she was certain her blood pressure would go off the scale. Dr Edward Cullen was definitely a health hazard, she decided. Oh, but what a way to go!

He was with Dr Haas when it was time for her to go so she didn't get to say goodbye, to her disappointment. Since she was going out with Edward tomorrow night, she drove to Charlie's house on her way home.

They were sitting down eating when Charlie told her about his plans.

"I'm going to go with Billy and Jake when they go fishing up north," he told her.

"That's great Dad," said Bella. "I know you'll have a great time and it'll give you time with Billy before..."

Charlie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, should be good. Told them at the station today that I'm taking a break. Haven't had one for years, anyway."

"It's about time, Dad."

"Life's not all about work, I suppose. Billy's illness has brought that home to me. Gotta make the most of our time here."

Bella reached out and patted her father's hand. "We sure do. How do you feel about sitting on ice all day?" she joked.

"The lakes around here are almost as cold in winter, so I'll be fine. We'll make sure we wear the right gear. Billy's really looking forward to it."

"I'll keep an eye on the place, Dad."

"Bels, this is Forks, not Los Angeles. Besides, I'm the Police Chief. Who do you think's going to break in?"

"You never know Dad. We get travellers through here and I'm sure not everyone is just an innocent tourist," said Bella.

"You worry too much."

"Yeah, well. I'll still do it."

"Suit yourself."

Once she was home, Bella did some housework and put clothes in to wash. While waiting for the load to finish, she checked her emails and saw one from her mother.

Renae lived in Florida with her husband Phil, now a baseball coach with the local team. She could be quite scatterbrained in many ways, more Bella's friend that mother. Always had been. Bella had chosen to live with her father at 16 so that her mother could travel with her new husband when he played baseball.

Opening the email, Bella saw that Renae was asking if she would spend Christmas with her and Phil this year. Christmas was only five weeks away. Bella usually spent it with Charlie then visited Renae later in January. She hadn't spent Christmas with her mother for at least five years. Chewing her lip, Bella ran through her options. Renae sounded like she really wanted to see her but she didn't want to leave Charlie on his own.

Picking up the phone, she rang her father.

"Dad, Renae wants me to spend Christmas with her but I don't want to leave you on your own," she told her father.

"Go to Florida, Bels. I'll spend Christmas with Billy, the last Christmas we'll have. You haven't seen your mother in ages."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, go. How long do you think you'll go for?"

"Only a couple of days."

"Tell her you'll go. It'll be good for you to see your mom."

Decision made, she emailed her mother telling her she'd go and would talk to her later about the details. Looking on the internet, she booked a flight, luckily finding a seat this late. Usually flights were booked months in advance for the Christmas period. She would fly down on Christmas Eve and fly back the day after. She wasn't rostered to work this Christmas so she'd only need to apply for one day's leave.

She wandered into her bedroom to work out what she'd wear tomorrow night. Edward had said casual. She could do that. Rummaging through her wardrobe, she decided to wear a silky blue top with a wide neckline along with her jeans. She'd glam it up a bit with a pair of heeled boots that Alice had given her.

Bella wondered where Alice would suggest, not really caring either way. She just wanted to be alone with him. Anywhere.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: Edward and Bella's first 'date' next up. **

**Leave me your reviews, I love reading them.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed, read or added my story to their alerts and favourites. It encourages me to keep going!**

**Thanks to MrsKatyCullen for betaing this for me.**

o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 7

Edward wondered how a day could go so slow and simultaneously, so fast.

He couldn't wait for his date with Bella. Their first proper date, though he had fond memories of their dinner at the pizza place on Tuesday night.

The night he'd kissed her. He'd been fantasising about kissing her all day, pressing his lips against her plump, delicious ones. All through their dinner, as she talked and laughed, the desire grew. By the end of the night, Edward couldn't help himself, he had to kiss her or go mad. Not knowing what kind of reception he'd get, but unable to stop anyway, he'd leant down and fulfilled this particular fantasy.

And she had felt like heaven. The surge of desire he felt as their lips touched had been nearly overwhelming. Her mouth was like the softest velvet, tasting of pizza, coke and a flavour that could only be Bella. She had moaned softly when he ran his tongue over her bottom lip and it had only been with the greatest self-control that he didn't increase the pressure and ravage her mouth. He had deliberately held his body away from hers, not wanting to scare her with the evidence of what she did to him.

Any thought of denying this pull she had over him, of avoiding getting involved with a colleague had disappeared like mist in the hot sun. This attraction was stronger than any he'd felt before. It was like Bella was a magnet and he was helplessly caught in her force field.

Despite knowing that she would hound him for information, he'd asked Alice for Bella's number. He wanted to know where this attraction could lead and hoped that Bella felt the same. He'd start by doing the traditional thing. Ask her out on a date.

As expected, Alice had not simply given him the information he wanted. She had to extract as much information as possible first.

"So you _do_ like Bella. I knew it."

"Just give me her number Alice."

"Are you going to ask her out?"

"It's none of your business."

"Of course it's my business. You're my brother and she's my friend. That makes it my business."

"Alice!"

"I saw the way you looked at each other on Saturday. It made _me_ hot!"

Oh god! It was even worse than he'd expected. "Alice, are you going to give me her number or not?"

"Yes, yes, of course I will. So, where are you planning to take her?"

Unable to fight a lost cause, Edward gave in. "I'm not sure. Somewhere in Port Angeles, I suppose. You'll have to recommend somewhere."

"Oh yes! I know some great spots. There's..."

"Alice, please just give me Bella's number so that maybe I'll actually have someone to take with me," he said sarcastically.

Alice giggled and told him. "Are you going to ring her now?"

"Yes, if you'll get off the phone first."

"Ok, ok, I'm going. Make sure you ask her nicely."

"What do think I'm going to do? Subpoena her? I _have_ asked girls out before you know," he retorted.

"Oh, you know what I mean. Good luck."

Alice finally got off the phone. Now that he actually had Bella's number, he felt nervous about ringing her. What if she didn't want to see him? What if he'd gotten the signals mixed up? Steeling himself, he'd dialled the number.

He'd felt something close to euphoria when she'd said yes. Unable to help himself, he admitted to her that she'd been on his mind constantly and wished she was next to him when she'd replied that she had felt the same. He'd have kissed and held her until they both felt dizzy.

His body told him that it wanted more, much more but Edward was going to take it slow, if possible. He wanted to get to know her, really know her and if that meant denying his body's urges until the time was right, then that's what he'd do. If he could.

Edward dreamed about Bella that night, dreams where he did all the things he wanted to do with her, that his body craved to do with her. He woke up, his body aching. Groaning, he rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, with little success.

Heavy eyed, his mood had instantly lifted the moment he saw Bella. God, he wanted her. Her reaction when he told her he wanted to kiss her was priceless. He was hard pressed not to laugh out aloud. If they'd been alone, he would have done it.

All day long, the awareness between them had been strong and constant. Every look, every touch, accidental or otherwise had been imbued with the sexual chemistry that flowed between them. To others, they appeared as nothing more than colleagues, but both Bella and Edward knew otherwise.

Edward was now driving his Volvo to pick her up, his body alive with anticipation. He felt like a teenager going on his first date, all nerves and excitement. He'd changed clothes three times, not happy with these jeans, this shirt was too loose, too casual, too dressy. Finally satisfied, he'd picked up the flowers he'd bought on his way home and left the house.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked on her door, able to hear her moving around inside. As the door opened, the breath was knocked out of him. Bella was so beautiful, so sexy, his body leapt in response. She was wearing a tight fitting pair of jeans which left nothing of her shape to the imagination. The high heeled boots only accentuated the length of her legs even more. This was teamed with a silky blue top that hugged her breasts and exposed her throat and most of her shoulders.

Was she psychic? How was it that she happened to be wearing Edward's favourite colour? His eyes moved up to her face, her delicate blush highlighting her natural beauty and her warm brown eyes, all framed by her glorious hair. Hair he fantasised about too often to count.

"Hi Edward," she smiled shyly.

"Bella. You are too beautiful for words. You take my breath away." He held out the flowers he'd brought.

Her delightful blush suffused her face as she accepted the flowers. "Thank you. These are beautiful," she said as she smelled the soft pink roses. Edward was glad he'd picked the roses. They had reminded him of her, beautiful, delicate but deceptively strong.

"I'm glad you like them. They reminded me of you."

She smiled again. "I think you're trying to smooth talk me."

Edward chuckled at the suspicious look she gave him. "Believe me, every word is true. You can't know how much I've looked forward to tonight."

"Come in, while I put these in water," she said, turning around and walking towards the kitchen.

Edward nearly groaned as he watched her walk. Her backside was faithfully outlined in those jeans and he was practically salivating. _Pull yourself together man. She's not a piece of steak. No, but I'd love to get my mouth on her_. Edward shook his head and dragged his thoughts from the gutter before he disgraced himself.

He looked around as he followed her, noting the homely touches she'd added to the apartment. Bright cushions and throw rugs added colour, along with the bright abstract prints on the wall. A side table held an array of photos and Edward was tempted to inspect them. Her small, but modern kitchen, with its table and chairs was quaint, pots and utensils hanging overhead.

"So, where are we going?" she asked as she found a vase.

"Alice suggested a place called Pete's Steakhouse. Said they do a great steak along with other meals, if you're not into steak."

"I've heard of it. It's got a good name. I've never been there so it sounds good." She threw the rubbish away and washed her hands. "Ok, I'm ready."

_Oh, so am I!_ "Let's go," he said instead, leading her out to the car.

"Nice car," she commented as she sunk into the leather seats.

"It's just a car," he shrugged. "It's got a great safety rating, its economical and it runs well. That's all I'm interested in," he admitted. "I'm not really into the whole car thing."

"And you a doctor," she teased, shaking her head. "Isn't it a rule or something that doctor's have to have a fancy car. A BMW at least."

Edward chuckled. "Haven't got to that part in the textbooks yet, so I can claim ignorance."

The light hearted conversation continued all the way to Port Angeles. Edward was surprised that, despite their constant awareness of each other, they were so comfortable together. Conversation seemed to come easily, even the pauses comfortable rather than awkward.

In the background Edward had classical music playing. Bella asked what the tune was and he told her 'Claire de Lune' by Debussy.

"You know, I know heaps of classical music but I often don't know the name. You can name me a tune and I'll think I don't know it until its played and then I'll be, of course I know this," explained Bella.

"That's quite common. It's because so much classical music is used as background music in movies and tv that you know it without realising it. Do you know my love of classical music started when I was a kid watching Looney Tunes?"

"Wow, I loved the Looney Tunes characters," exclaimed Bella. "I probably know every cartoon made."

"You're not the only one. Do you realise how much classical music was used in those cartoons?"

"I never thought about it, but you're right. The only one I consciously recognised was 'The Barber of Seville' because the title was in the cartoon with Bugs and Elmer Fudd."

"I loved that one," laughed Edward. "Who was your favourite character? Mine was Daffy Duck. He was such a pain in the ass but he cracks me up every time."

"I loved Daffy too but my favourite was Sylvester. I wished that once, just once, he managed to eat that smart alec,Tweetybird."

They laughed together as they reminisced about their favourite cartoon episodes and it seemed that in no time at all they were pulling up outside the restaurant in Port Angeles.

Edward guided Bella inside, his hand on the small of her back, a courtly old-world gesture he'd learned from his father and which came naturally to him.

They were led to their table and handed their menus.

"What would you like to drink Bella?" he asked.

"Just a lemon, lime and bitters to start, I think," she replied with a smile. "I don't think you'd be too impressed if I got drunk on the first date."

"Oh, I don't know. I would certainly see another side of Bella Swan."

"No, I think I need to keep a clear head. Besides, I want to remember everything about tonight."

Edward reached over and stroked the back of her hand with his finger, loving the feel of her soft skin. Bella looked at him and turned her hand so that he was stroking the palm of her hand. Edward was having trouble remembering what they were doing here.

Neither said a word, their concentration on where their hands were touching, until the waitress came to take their order, her eyes continually on the hot guy with the great hair.

"I'm really glad you came tonight," said Edward.

"Me too."

"I meant what I said the other day. I really can't stop thinking about you. I don't know why, but you've affected me like this from the moment we met. It's never happened to me before," he admitted.

Bella's eyes softened as she looked at him. "I know what you're feeling. I don't seem to have any control over this. I swore I would never go out with someone I worked with, but I can't stop this...whatever this is."

At her words, Edward felt a lightness through his whole being, felt like he could soar. "Why don't we get to know each other and find out?"

Bella only nodded, reaching for his hand again. She was the first to break the silence. "I've haven't been in a relationship for a long time."

"Why not? You are so beautiful, smart, sexy. I can't believe that no-one's been interested in you," he asked, amazed at the stupidity of the males around here.

"It's not that. I've had offers but, I don't know, no-one appealed to me. I was happy with my work, my friends. I just wasn't interested. Until you arrived." He saw the colour in her cheeks and reached out to stroke it.

"Don't be embarrassed. I'm flattered and honoured that you feel that way. Because it's the same for me. I've avoided relationships for years now, just had light hearted affairs which didn't affect me."

"Am I one of those?" she asked quietly.

"No. It's different with you. Like you, I don't know what this is, what it can be, but I want to find out. I want to explore this 'thing' with you. I really like you Bella, more than like you. I'm drawn to you like nothing I've ever known before." He looked at her beautiful face. "And I really, really want to kiss you."

Bella smiled at him. "I have no objection to that."

Edward sucked in his breath and was glad he was sitting down with a table covering him. "Count yourself warned, I will be kissing you tonight," he warned her huskily.

"Looking forward to it," she replied.

Just then the waitress returned with their orders, breaking the sensual spell between them.

Their conversation became a little less heated as they ate, much to Edward's relief.

"How did you know blue is my favourite colour?" he asked.

"Is it? I didn't know. I'll have to remember that next time."

"Bella, are you going to the Yule Ball?" He'd been asked if he was planning to go the annual event held for the staff at the nearby Country Club. Not knowing anything about it he'd asked for more details.

The event was strictly black tie and was a chance for the staff to let their hair down after a busy year. It was held a week or two before Christmas and apparently was roaring success every year."

"The Yule Ball? I hadn't planned on going," she replied.

"I was asked if I would be attending and thought it sounded like fun. Would you go with me?"

Bella looked at him with wide eyes. "You want to go with me? You do realise that everyone will gossip about us all night?"

Edward's heart sank a little at her answer. Didn't she want to go with him? "I know, but I don't really care. Bella, I more than anyone, should care, but I don't. I just want to spend the evening with you."

"What do you mean, 'more than anyone'?" she asked curiously, latching on to his words.

Edward sighed and ran his hand through his mop of hair. He hadn't meant to say anything but her non-answer had stung.

"You know how Carlisle didn't inform you I was starting because of 'issues' with my previous hospital?" She nodded and he continued. "I was the victim of a false sexual harassment allegation."

"Oh Edward, what happened?"

Inordinately glad that she didn't automatically assume that the allegations were true, Edward told her the story of Tanya and her delusions. He left nothing out, the anger in his voice evident.

Reaching out, she took his hand, giving him comfort. "I'm sorry that happened. Obviously Tanya has a problem to assume so much from such an innocent action. I'm glad that you were cleared. Not that I would have believed any of it, even after such a short time knowing you. And yes, I'd love to go to the Ball with you."

He squeezed her hand gently. "Thank you."

"I should be thanking you for inviting me," protested Bella gently.

"No, not for that. For not believing the worst. For not wondering if there was any truth to the lies."

"Edward. I may not have known you for long, but I think I'm a pretty good judge of character and I couldn't believe it of you. As if you'd need to harass anybody to go out with you. Besides, anyone who loves babies as much as me, couldn't have done that," she teased.

"You're wonderful, do you know that?"

"Now you're making me blush again."

"That's not terribly hard. And besides, I love seeing you blush."

When their meal finished, Edward suggested they go for a walk on the waterfront. It was late November but it was a clear night. They both had their jackets and Bella readily agreed. Driving the Volvo down to the waterfront, Edward took her hand as they walked slowly, the gentle lap of the water against the shore providing the background music.

"Edward, can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Anything."

"Why haven't you been involved in a serious relationship? You're handsome and eligible. Did you just want to play the field? Is that it?"

Edward stopped and looked at her. "Bella, I'm going to tell you something I've never told another woman. You need to know this because I want you to go into this with your eyes open, knowing all the facts. If afterwards you don't want to see me, I'll understand," he said sadly.

The moment of truth had arrived. The secret that only his family knew, which he'd never divulged to a woman, the reason he'd never attempted a serious relationship. He hoped and prayed that Bella wouldn't turn away.

"What is it Edward?" she asked worriedly. "You've got me scared now."

Seeing the fear and question in her face, Edward took her in his arms and held her close. Even with their bulky coats, it was magic to hold her in his arms.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, Bella." He let her go, took her hand in his and recommenced walking. "When I was 19 I was diagnosed with testicular cancer."

Bella squeezed his hand in support but didn't say anything.

"It was a huge shock, that's for sure, as there wasn't any history of it in the family that we knew of. I was in my first year of medical school, going out, having fun, all the things you do when you're at college when this happened. I needed to have radiation and chemotherapy to fight it, and I was eventually pronounced free of the disease."

"And there's been no recurrence? No secondries?" asked Bella.

"No. I was regularly screened for five years and there's been nothing. Unfortunately, the side effect of the radiation and chemotherapy was that I was rendered infertile."

"I'm so sorry," sympathised Bella. "There's no chance?"

"The oncologist said that in less than ten percent of cases, the body can eventually heal itself and start producing sperm again but I'm not hopeful. Before I started treatment Dad suggested I store my sperm in case I did become infertile and I wanted to have children later. At 19 it wasn't really at the forefront of my mind, although I've always loved kids, but I did as he suggested. So, I can probably father children, just not the way nature designed," he smiled ruefully.

"Is that why you get so upset when you see the way some people disregard their babies' health and welfare?"

"Yeah, I suppose so. At first it didn't bother me so much, I was just concentrating on beating the cancer and then catching up on the studies I missed while I was in treatment. But as the years went on, I became more and more thankful for Dad's wisdom." Edward looked at Bella. "I steered clear of serious relationships because it's not something I really wanted to bring up and talk about."

"Why are you bringing it up now, with me then?" asked Bella gently.

"Because, as I said earlier, you're different. What I'm feeling is different. I want to give you the facts and allow you to make the decision on whether we see where this leads. It wouldn't be fair of me to let you take things further without knowing the truth. This isn't about whether we like the same football team, this is something that could have a profound effect on our lives if it came to that in the future. I've seen you with the babies and I know you would make the best mother one day. You need to know that it may not be possible with me."

Edward stopped talking and looked down, his whole being filled with tension. What would she do? Would she walk away? He wouldn't blame her if she did. It was pretty serious talk on a first date, but he couldn't live with himself if he hurt her in the future because she didn't know all the facts from the outset. Mentally, he began steeling himself for her rejection, knowing it would hurt like hell.

"Edward" Bella turned and looked at him, raising her hand and resting it on his cheek, gently stroking. "Thank you for being so honest with me. I know that must have been really difficult for you. But it doesn't make any difference with me. I've never been drawn to anyone like I'm drawn to you. I can't walk away from this. Let's take things one day at a time and if one day, we come to that bridge, we'll cross it then. For now, I just want to be with you. You're important to me already and I can't let that go."

Edward could feel the moisture in his eyes and ruthlessly pushed them away. She still wanted to be with him. She knew the truth and was accepting him how he was.

He looked down into her beautiful face, her deep brown eyes showing nothing but acceptance and he knew he couldn't wait any longer. Pulling her into him, their bulky jackets in the way, he leaned down and kissed her.

This kiss wasn't like the one he'd given her on Tuesday. This kiss contained all the suppressed passion and desire he'd felt since the day they met.

Bella's arms encircled his neck while his tightened around her waist, letting her feel the evidence of what she did to him.

Their lips melded together, moving in perfect harmony. Edward increased the pressure, his tongue seeking entry to the delights of her mouth. Bella opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to duel gently with hers.

Edward's pulse was racing and his breathing was becoming erratic. One hand tangled in her long hair, holding her steady as the kiss went on and on. Eventually, Edward trailed his lips over her cheek and to a spot below her ear. Her ragged moan resonated through his heated body as he licked the delicate skin there. Her coat hindered any further progress, so Edward stopped. He leaned his forehead against hers, evidence of their ragged breathing misting in the cold air.

"Thank you," whispered Edward.

"For the kiss?" teased Bella.

"Yes, for the kiss, for tonight and for not walking away," he replied, giving her another quick, sensual kiss. "It's getting pretty cold. I'd better get you home."

Bella nodded and they made their way back to the car, Edward's arm around her shoulders. Every now and then, he would kiss her temple and he would feel the shiver that coursed through her. He felt so...so...he couldn't describe it. If he had wings, he'd probably take off. This feeling of happiness was foreign to him. It was all Bella's doing.

On the drive back, Edward held Bella's hand in his, his thumb stroking her skin. After the heaviness of their previous conversation, they kept things light, telling each other amusing tales of things they'd seen at work.

"One time, this heavily pregnant woman was walking down the hall to the waiting area. As she walked past me I noticed that her dress was caught in her underwear. She'd obviously been to the ladies room and hadn't noticed what happened. She was walking pretty fast so I practically had to chase her down the hallway. When I finally caught up, I stood behind her and whispered what was happening. The poor thing went bright red, hastily pulled out her dress and sat down. I know she was trying to ignore the sniggers coming from around her!" laughed Bella.

Edward chuckled. "That's almost as bad as walking around all day with your fly open."

"Worse," confirmed Bella. "Her whole backside was on show."

Pulling into the kerb outside Bella's apartment, Edward turned off the engine in order to walk her upstairs.

"Edward, would you like to come upstairs for a while," asked Bella.

_Would I? Calm down, boy, you're not being invited to look at her etchings_. "If you're sure?" he replied.

"I'm not ready for the night to end just yet. Are you?" asked Bella.

Shaking his head, Edward got out of the car and assisted her out. Still holding hands, Bella led Edward upstairs, taking his coat and hanging it near the door.

"Would you like something to drink?" she asked, smoothing her hair down.

Edward smiled tenderly. She looked nervous, so he set about reassuring her. Taking both her hands in his, his smiled down at her. "Bella, please understand. I won't do anything you're not ready for. I promise. I just want to be with you." Giving her a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth, he continued. "I do want you. I've wanted you since the moment we touched, and I would love nothing more than make love to you all night long, but until you're ready, and you tell me so, I won't do anything. So please don't be nervous around me, you have nothing to be afraid of."

Bella leaned into him, her arms around him. "I'm afraid _I_ won't be able to stop. I'm not afraid of you, not at all. I'm just worried that I because I want you so badly, I'll lose control."

Edward tightened his arms and kissed her hair. "When we're ready, we'll both lose control, and it'll be wonderful."

Bella raised her head and looked into his eyes. "That doesn't mean we can't fool around until the time's right, does it?" she asked cheekily.

"Certainly not! I want nothing more than to fool around with you," he chuckled.

Their lips crashed together once more, rubbing over and over each other as their tongues danced. Now that their bulky coats were off, their hands were able touch each other with much more freedom, a fact they both took advantage of.

Somehow, they staggered to the lounge where Edward sat down and pulled her onto his lap, their mouths never leaving the other. Edward's pulse soared as Bella's hands wove themselves into his hair as she took control. Edward's hands caressed Bella's waist, his fingers snaking under the material to touch the satiny skin there.

When Bella wriggled on his now aching erection, Edward moaned into her mouth and gripped her waist.

"Bella!" he gasped. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Yes," she murmured against his mouth before kissing her way down to his throat. "You taste yummy." She dragged one hand down and traced the skin of his throat with her fingertip before working the top button undone. Edward's heart was hammering with excitement when her hand made its way under the material and she began running her hand over his chest, gasping when her finger touched his nipple.

Without conscious thought, Edward turned their bodies so that Bella was now laying back against the lounge with him leaning over her, her legs still over his. Edward was now ravaging her mouth, as he'd fantasised doing so many times in his dreams. Their tongues battled for supremacy, although there would be no loser here.

Edward groaned when her hands caressed the skin of his back where she'd pulled the shirt free of his trousers.

"God Bella, are you trying to kill me?"

Bella just giggled against his lips. "No, oh no. This is just too much fun."

Over and over they continued kissing, their hands on each other. Edward ran his hand over her jeans-covered leg, wanting it to be her bare skin. Without volition he began grinding himself into her hip, trying to ease the intense ache. It did no good. There was only one solution and Bella wasn't ready for that yet.

Unable to stop himself, he began rubbing the skin of her stomach, marvelling at its softness. He desperately wanted to run his lips over it, to taste her. Instead, he nibbled on the skin of her throat, savouring the moans of pleasure coming from her mouth.

His hand moved higher and he placed his hand over her breast before squeezing lightly. The feel of her softness in his hand was beyond anything he'd imagined. When his thumb flicked over her nipple, Bella cried out.

It was enough to rouse Edward from his passion-filled haze. Opening his eyes, he saw Bella looking at him with the same expression he probably had on his. Her eyes were heavy with desire, her breathing fast and he could feel her pounding heart under his hand.

Edward removed his hand from her breast and smoothed down her top. He sat up, pulling her up with him and enfolding her in his arms. They just sat silently for a while, allowing their bodies to calm down, both knowing that it wouldn't take much to re-ignite the embers of their desire for each other.

"I'd better go," he murmured into her hair.

Bella nodded, her arms tightly around him.

Lifting her off him and standing up, Edward pulled her into another hug. "God it's going to be hard seeing you at work. Every time I see you I just want to grab you and kiss you," he murmured.

Bella laughed softly. "I know what you mean. You wouldn't believe some of the fantasies I've had about you whilst I've been working."

"Mmm, sounds interesting. I want to hear about them someday," said Edward.

"Maybe someday I'll tell you," she replied, looking up at him.

He couldn't resist kissing her again, every cell in his body screaming at him to take her to bed, that she wouldn't protest too much.

Pulling his lips from hers he disentangled himself. "Bella, I've really got to go before I break the promise I made not half an hour ago."

Bella pouted slightly, her lips full and red from his caresses. Calling forth every bit of self-control he could muster, he took her hand and walked towards the front door.

"Goodbye Bella. Thank you for a truly wonderful night. Are you on duty this weekend?"

"I'm working tomorrow afternoon and Sunday, then I'm off until Wednesday."

Edward nodded. "I'm on call this weekend so I'll probably see you at some stage. Can I see you on Sunday after you finish?"

Bella nodded. "I'd like that. I finish at 4pm."

"Why don't you come over to my place. I'll show you what Mom's done and I'll even try to cook dinner for us."

"Can you cook?" asked Bella.

"Well, I do a good steak and salad. That's about the limit of my culinary expertise, I'm afraid."

"Sounds wonderful. I'll come over after work."

"Can't wait," he murmured, giving her one last kiss before he forced himself to leave.

With one last long, lingering look, Edward left. He seemed to float down to his car, his spirits so high it ought to be illegal.

With a wide grin on his handsome face, Edward daydreamed about Bella all the way home. Time would seem like an eternity until he saw her again.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: The woman in Bella's story - that was me. Yep, there I was, feeling good, thinking I was the shit and all the time my arse was on display to the world! Very embarrassing.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks so much for all your reviews and comments. Reading them makes my day. Thanks also to those who've added this to their alerts and favourites.**

**Thanks to MrsKatyCullen for checking this for me.**

o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 8

Bella couldn't help the dreamy smile that lit her face all morning. She put on her coat to walk down to the store in order to get some groceries and she imagined that she could smell Edward on her coat. She breathed in deeply, needing some tangible reminder of the previous night.

She was having trouble believing that it had been real. Had Edward really kissed her so passionately that she had been ready to throw caution to the wind and drag him into bed with her? Only the fact that Edward was a gentleman, that he had promised to let her set the pace had stopped her. Bella smiled as she recalled the feel of his body against hers. He'd wanted her as much as she wanted him. He couldn't hide it.

The smile dimmed a little as she recalled his story. Her heart ached for the young man who'd had to face such a difficult event. She'd seen patients undergo cancer treatment before and her heart had gone out to them. She could imagine Edward's suffering. Bella probably would have cried if she'd seen him lose his beautiful hair.

It seemed so unfair that his treatment had made him infertile. She'd watched him with the babies, his care and delight in them plain for all to see. She wanted to hug Carlisle for having the foresight in encouraging Edward to store his sperm. With today's advances in IVF technology, the chances of conceiving were quite good.

Bella had been telling the truth when she told him that it didn't matter to her. It truly didn't. For one, it was too early in their relationship to worry about it. For another, forewarned was forearmed. If it came to it, at least they would know what they were up against. Most couples just assumed that they would be able to have children and only found out there were problems when they failed to conceive. Look at the Evans' and their struggle to become parents.

Bella wasn't sure what she felt yet for Edward. Whatever it was, it was very strong and she wouldn't give up the chance to be with him for anything.

As she was ironing her work clothes, the phone rang. Bella smiled widely as she saw Edward's name on the screen.

"Hi," she breathed.

"Hi beautiful," said Edward, his sexy voice doing amazing things to her, even when he wasn't in the same room. "Did you sleep well?"

"Not really," she told him

"Me neither. I kept replaying our encounter on your couch for ages."

Bella's knees felt shaky and she sat down. "Me too."

"Do you realise how hard it was for me to leave?" he asked sexily.

"Do you realise how hard it was for me to let you leave?" she replied.

Edward chuckled. "You shouldn't say things like that. It makes it that much harder to keep my promise."

"Maybe I don't want you to keep your promise."

Bella heard Edward groan. "God! Don't say that. You'll drive me insane."

"I like that thought."

"Behind that sweet face, you're a siren, aren't you?"

"Only with you."

There was silence as Edward regathered his composure. "Has Alice rung you yet?"

"No. Why, has she hounded you already?" laughed Bella.

"First thing this morning. I think she wanted to know if I was in bed with you."

Bella sucked in her breath at the thought.

"I think she was disappointed that I was alone at home," he told her, a smile in his voice.

"Probably," laughed Bella. "That girl is an inveterate matchmaker."

"Has she tried to match-make you before?" asked Edward, a slight edge to his voice.

"Once or twice," admitted Bella. "I wasn't interested."

"Good." There was a charged silence. "I'd better let you go. I'll just go back to thinking about last night."

"You do that," said Bella. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Can't wait."

Bella sat there for a while, a goofy smile on her face. Was this what falling in love felt like? This tingly feeling all over, the need to be with him all the time? Bella had never been even close to being in love. _It can't be, it's too soon_, she thought. Well whatever it was, it felt wonderful. She wondered if Edward's emotions were all over the place like hers.

By the time she walked into work, she had managed to get a handle on her soaring emotions.

She was reassuring a new mother who was worried that her baby was a bit yellow when a call came through to Maternity.

"It's quite normal for babies to be a bit yellow after they're born," she reassured Miss Russell. "It's because their liver takes a little while to start working properly. She should go back to a normal colour in a few days. A little bit of sunshine doesn't hurt."

"A bit hard around here," said Jackie Russell wryly

"True. If she got worse, we'd put her under a 'billy light' for a few hours, but I doubt that will be necessary. She's not that yellow. If you're worried, we can have the paediatrician look at her," reassured Bella.

At that moment, a junior nurse came rushing into the room. "Excuse me Bella. Can I see you please?"

Bella nodded, said goodbye to Miss Russell and followed the nurse out of the room. "What's up Nicole?"

"Emergency rang through. They need someone down there ASAP."

"Ok, I'm going." Bella rushed down the stairs, foregoing the lifts.

Walking quickly through the half-empty Emergency waiting room, Bella was wondering what was awaiting her. As she entered the treatment area she heard loud cries coming from one of the cubicles.

"Ah, Bella, I'm glad you're here," said the doctor.

Bella looked in and saw a girl, a young girl, lying on the bed, her legs raised and crying. Beside her an older woman, the girl's mother, assumed Bella, was telling the girl to stop being so dramatic.

"What's going on, Ryan?" asked Bella quietly.

The young registrar pulled Bella aside. "The girl, Chelsea Johnson, was brought in by her mother after she began crying due to severe stomach cramps. I examined her and I believe she's in labour. She's thirteen," informed her gravely.

Bella swallowed the gasp that threatened to emerge. Thirteen! "Does she know she's in labour?"

"I told them what I suspected but the mother is adamant it can't possibly be true. She's been yelling at her daughter to calm down but it's only making matters worse."

"Ok. Listen, I'm just going to get the unit to ring the on-call OB. If she didn't know she was pregnant, then we can assume she's had no pre-natal care." Bella hurried to phone and quickly told the unit the situation. Assured that Edward would be called and the delivery room readied, Bella walked over to the young girl.

Chelsea was on her side in the foetal position, tears pouring down her face.

"Hello Chelsea. My name's Bella. I'm a midwife and I'm going to help you with the baby you're having."

"No! That's not true! She's only a child. She can't possibly be pregnant," shouted her mother.

Bella looked at the notes before answering her. "Mrs Johnson, I know this is distressing for both of you but if it's true, then we need to help Chelsea. Your shouting isn't helping your daughter."

"It's not possible, I tell you!" continued Mrs Johnson. "It's just a stomach bug, that's all."

Chelsea cried out at that moment, raising her legs as high as she could. "Oww! It hurts!"

"Give her something so we can go home!" demanded her mother.

"Mrs Johnson, if you don't calm down, I'll have to ask you to leave. You're upsetting Chelsea as well as other patients," said Bella sternly.

Ryan had summoned another nurse and she gently escorted the mother out of the room.

"Ok Chelsea, I'm going to have a quick look at you. Is that ok?" asked Bella gently.

The girl nodded, the tears still falling.

Bella helped her onto her back and pulled up her top. As soon as she saw her stomach Bella knew that she was indeed pregnant. Her stomach was quite small so Bella had no idea how far along she was. Chelsea was a plump girl and Bella could believe that her pregnancy had been missed.

Pressing her hand on the girl's stomach, she could feel the outline of the baby. She grabbed one of the monitor's that were kept in emergency and listened for a heartbeat. She picked up the steady fast beat quite easily.

"Chelsea. I'm going to have to move you to one of our delivery rooms, ok?" Bella stroked the girl's hair, her heart going out to her at the look of terror in her eyes.

Asking for porters to transfer her to maternity, Bella tried to get some information from Chelsea.

"Chelsea, did you know you were pregnant?" she asked gently.

Chelsea shook her head. "He said you couldn't get pregnant the first time."

"The baby's father?"

"Yes. I didn't like it. It hurt," she cried.

"Did he force you?" asked Bella, worried now. "How old is he?"

"No, he said it would show him that I loved him. He's eighteen."

Bella sucked in her breath. Eighteen. The boy had committed statutory rape with a minor. Putting that aside for the moment, Bella continued her questions.

"Chelsea, sweetie, can you remember when that was? I really need to know."

"I think it was...ahh!" Chelsea cried out as another contraction hit, her cries echoing in the room.

The porters arrived at that moment to transfer Chelsea. Asking that Chelsea's mother be informed of where she was going, Bella went to the phone again.

This case would need the expertise of the hospital's counsellor. There were a myriad of complications that would need to be solved. First though, they had to ensure the health of Chelsea and the baby.

Racing to catch up, she enlisted the services of another nurse/midwife to help. With no care, there was no way of knowing if the baby and mother were healthy or indeed, even how old the baby was.

Chelsea's mother came into the unit, demanding to be allowed to see her daughter. Bella rushed to her.

"Mrs Johnson, my name's Bella Swan and I'm going to help deliver Chelsea's baby. The doctor will be here shortly. We're going to do everything to ensure she and the baby are ok."

"I told you, she's not pregnant. She's just got a virus," insisted the mother.

Bella felt sympathy for her. To be told your thirteen year old daughter, still a child herself, is in labour with no warning would be devastating. The counsellor would need to see all the parties involved.

Placing her hand on Mrs Johnson's arm, Bella explained the facts. "Chelsea is indeed in labour. I listened for and found a heartbeat. Also, Chelsea admitted that she had had sex with a boy." She would leave the details for the counsellor.

Mrs Johnson's face crumpled at Bella's words. "Oh god! She's only a baby! How did I not notice!" She buried her face in her hands.

"Because you never expected anything like this. Chelsea is quite small and loose clothes would hide any evidence. She also didn't know, so she probably thought she was just putting on weight."

Chelsea's mother nodded. "Her periods hadn't become regular so she probably didn't think anything of it. But didn't she feel the baby moving?"

"Some babies don't move much and Chelsea probably wouldn't know what it was if she did feel movement."

Bella began guiding her to the delivery suite.

"Chelsea is understandably very scared. And in pain. She needs her mother now. Can you support her through this and leave the questions until later?" asked Bella.

"Yes. I just want to help Chelsea," said her mother.

The lift doors opened and Edward stepped out. Bella's heart and whole being lifted at the sight of him. She could feel his eyes caress her as he walked towards them.

"Hi Doctor Cullen," she said, her eyes speaking more than her words could. "I'm just going to take Mrs Johnson into the delivery suite and I'll come and see you."

Edward nodded as Bella lead the way to the delivery suite. "I'll be right back," she assured Chelsea and her mother who were left with another midwife .

Edward was on his way to the suite when Bella ran into him.

"Hi Bella," he smiled. Bella wanted to press her lips to his kissable mouth really badly, especially after his phone call this morning. Pulling herself back to the business at hand, she told Edward of what was happening.

"Thirteen?" asked Edward, shaking his head. "Poor child."

"Yes, I know. The problem is we don't know how old the baby is or if there are any problems because there was no pre-natal care."

"How is she coping with the news?"

"She's scared, as you can imagine."

"Ok, can you get the anaesthetist up here? I think it would be safer to give her an epidural to ease the shock. Given her age and the fact that she hasn't had the time to process what's about to happen, the easier we make this for her the better. Also, get a paediatrician here as the baby will need to be looked at. Has the counsellor been notified?"

"Yes, she'll be here as soon as possible. Chelsea's mother doesn't know, but the baby's father is eighteen."

"Christ! This will get messy," stated Edward as pushed open the doors

"Very," agreed Bella.

Edward introduced himself as Bella made the necessary calls. Chelsea was moaning loudly with the pain.

"Make it go away! It hurts!" she cried piteously.

Edward took the girl's hand and gently squeezed it. It seemed to have a calming effect. "We're going to make the pain go, ok? The anaesthetist is going give you something that will make you numb."

Chelsea nodded, her other hand in her worried mother's one. Bella watched Edward speak soothingly to both Chelsea and her mother, calming their anxieties as much as possible.

Whilst waiting for the anaesthetist, Bella took Chelsea's blood pressure. It was high but that was probably due the shock and fear.

"Chelsea, darling. It's going to be ok," soothed her mother, stroking her daughter's sweating brow.

"Mommy, I'm scared."

"I know baby. I wish this hadn't happened. But the doctor and nurses will look after you, won't they?"

Bella smiled and nodded. "Yes, we'll take the very best care of you, sweetie. It's still going to uncomfortable but hopefully it won't hurt so much.

The anaesthetist came in and explained what she was going to do. Holding Chelsea in order to keep her still, the doctor inserted the canula into Chelsea's spine and waited until her lower half was numb.

Bella quickly strapped on the monitor to Chelsea's stomach in order to keep a constant watch on the baby's condition and put her on a drip to keep her fluids up.

Once the pain eased, Chelsea became less panicked and lay back on the bed, her mother holding her hand tightly. Bella saw that her contractions were about three minutes apart.

Edward, in the meantime had taken blood samples and had asked for the ultrasound machine to set up. He needed to know the baby's position and hopefully get some idea of the gestation age. Bella asked Chelsea again if she could remember when she fell pregnant but Chelsea couldn't remember the date, only saying it was sometime in the spring.

Even as tense as the situation was, Bella still felt the tingles through her body when she accidentally touched Edward. She was standing next to him, smearing the gel on Chelsea's stomach and had to control the shiver when he spoke quietly to her.

"I would guess, by what she's said, that she's not far from full term but she's very small which means the baby could be quite underweight."

Bella nodded in agreement and watched as Edward began the ultrasound, the images clear on the screen. Calmer now that the pain was gone, Chelsea looked at the screen.

"Is that it?" she asked.

"Yes and by the size, it's nearly full term." Turning off the machine, Edward spoke to Chelsea and her mother. "Everything seems to be progressing normally. It's now a matter of waiting."

Patting Chelsea on the hand, Edward spoke to her. "How are feeling now Chelsea? Any pain?"

"No. It feels weird but it's not hurting." Her eyes were still frightened. "I don't want a baby. I don't want to be here."

Edward squeezed her hand. "I know this is hard for you, but we can't stop it now. A counsellor is going to come and speak to you and your mom afterwards, ok? Just relax now because the painkiller will wear off and then you'll have to push the baby out."

"Will it hurt?"

"I'm afraid it will hurt somewhat but there should be enough painkiller left to dull it a bit."

Chelsea lay back on the bed, her young face tired and scared. The tears started again as she looked at her mother.

Bella and Edward left the room so that they could talk.

"Boy, when I was called, I didn't expect this," sighed Edward running his hand through his hear, leaving it endearingly tousled.

"I know. I couldn't believe it when I saw her. She's just a child herself. This must be so traumatic for her."

"And her mother."

"I told you life wasn't perfect here," said Bella.

"Nowhere's perfect."

The hospital counsellor arrived at that moment. Bella greeted her and introduced Edward then proceeded to explain the situation.

"Oh dear," said Chris. "That poor child. How's she doing?"

"She's in full labour and we've made her as comfortable as possible. She's very frightened, as you can imagine," replied Bella.

"And she told you the father's eighteen?"

"Yes, that's what she said. It seems she was a virgin because he told her she couldn't get pregnant the first time. Poor Chelsea just didn't recognise what was happening to her body."

"I'm going to have to contact Social Services as they'll need to investigate. The father could be up on charges of statutory rape. I don't suppose they've given any indication of what they'll do in regards to the infant?"

"On whether she's keeping it or not? No and we've not asked. We just want her to get through the ordeal of labour."

Chris nodded her head. "Yes, that the best thing. I'm going to make a few phone calls and then introduce myself. This is going to be a delicate situation. What about Chelsea's father?"

"They haven't mentioned him, so he may not be around."

"And how is Chelsea's mother coping?"

"She's understandably shocked and disbelieving. It took a while to convince her that Chelsea wasn't suffering from a stomach virus," replied Bella.

"I'm not surprised."

The other midwife popped out of the suite and called Bella and Edward. "The contractions are getting very close now, about a minute apart."

"Ok, we'll be right there," said Edward. "Come in to the delivery suite when you're ready," he said to Chris. "Mrs Johnson could do with support of her own."

He turned to Bella. "Can you make sure the paediatrician is on their way?"

Nodding her assent, Bella did as Edward asked and returned to the delivery suite. The next couple of hours seemed to pass in a blur. As the contractions got stronger, the anaesthetic wore off enough to allow Chelsea to push.

Crying and moaning loudly in pain, the young girl gripped her mother's hand as she was encouraged to keep going.

"No! Stop it! I want to go home!" she sobbed, too young to cope with the gravity of the situation. Bella's heart broke for the poor little girl who was being forced to grow up way too fast.

Taking hold of Chelsea's other hand and stroking her hair, Bella tried her best to encourage her.

"Sweetie, I know it hurts but it's too late to stop. It's not too much longer now," she reassured her, looking at Edward who nodded in agreement.

Once the baby's head began crowning, things progressed quite quickly. The paediatrician had arrived and was standing by to receive the infant.

With much encouragement and a scream of pain, Chelsea's son was born. As suspected he was very small for his age and the paediatrician wanted to examine him immediately. Bella stayed his hand for a moment.

"Chelsea, would you like to look at him?" asked Bella gently.

Lying back exhausted, Chelsea shook her head. Bella handed the baby to the doctor as she and Edward continued to look after Chelsea. They cleaned her up and moved her to a private room where she could rest without the stares of other patients.

Chris, who had been supporting Mrs Johnson, allowed mother and daughter some privacy before going in to begin the difficult process of determining who was responsible for this sad situation and what would happen to the infant.

"How is he Doug?" Edward asked the paediatrician.

"He's small so I suspect he's around 36 weeks but his breathing's fine and otherwise he looks healthy. I'm going recommend he be placed in the special care nursery for a few days just to be sure," replied Doug.

"Good idea. Also, it'll give Chris and the Social Services people a chance to try and sort out what's to happen," said Edward.

Picking up the baby, Edward gave him a cuddle and talked gently to the red, scrunched up infant. "Poor little tyke. You've arrived in less than ideal circumstances, haven't you? I hope things work out for the best," he murmured, gently stroking the baby's soft skin.

Watching him hand over the baby to the paediatric nurse, Bella felt her heart lurch in response. To see such a masculine man be so gentle with a tiny baby did funny things to her insides. If she didn't already know that he had this caring, gentle side it would have been driven home now. When he turned to look at her, Bella gave him a wide, tender smile letting him know she understood.

"Can you come to my office when you're ready Nurse Swan?" asked Edward as he picked up Chelsea's file.

"Of course. As soon as we've cleared up Dr Cullen."

Together with the other nurse, Bella quickly cleared the delivery room ready for the cleaners to come through. As soon as possible, she headed to Edward's office.

She knocked on the door and entered at his call to go in. Edward looked up from his notes and stood up, a hungry look in his eyes. Bella shut the door behind her as he came around the desk.

In the next instant, Bella was being held tightly in his arms, kissing each other hungrily. Pulses racing, their breathing ragged, they kissed over and over, delighting in the opportunity to be close. Bella's hands had tangled in his hair, mussing it up even more than usual.

Edward's tongue sought entry to hers, their tongues dancing. Bella heard Edward's soft moan as she gently nipped his full bottom lip then sucked it into her mouth.

Much too soon for either of them, they broke apart, their faces flushed. Bella rested her head on Edward's shoulder, neither of them wanting to break the contact yet. She could feel Edward rubbing her back, calming them both down.

"I needed that," murmured Edward into her hair.

"Mmm, me too. It's been a hell of an afternoon, hasn't it?"

"That poor kid. I feel sorry for all of them. Whatever decision they make, there'll be lasting consequences."

Bella nodded her head in agreement. "I know. It's an awful thing to happen. I hope they'll make the right decision for them."

"I'm sorry something like this had to occur, so soon after you arrived," said Bella.

"Like you said, nowhere's perfect. I don't suppose you've seen this situation too often, have you?"

"No. Not this young. She's a baby herself. I'll have to make sure that the staff take special care of her. It's going to be a shock at first for all of them."

"Still, I'm glad to have been able to see you today," smiled Edward. "I didn't think I would." He reached up and stroked her cheek. "I suppose we shouldn't stay in here too long. Tongues will start wagging."

Bella grimaced. "No, I'd better head back to work. I've still got a few hours before I go home."

"I'll just finish up, check on Chelsea and go home." He watched her face intently before kissing her again. It was brief but passionate. "Just needed one more kiss before I go," he smiled.

Reaching up, Bella smoothed Edward's hair down. "Don't want people to get the wrong impression."

Edward stepped back and opened the door for her. "See you tomorrow," he whispered.

"Can't wait," she whispered back.

With a last squeeze of her hand, Edward let her go. Bella made her way to the staff room, needing to compose herself before going back to work. Thankful that the room was empty, she went to the ladies' room to see what effect Edward had on her.

Looking in the mirror, Bella took in her flushed face, slightly mussed up hair and her shining eyes. She had to admit that Edward was good for her looks. Smiling wryly, she fixed up her hair, put on her 'work face' and went back to the unit.

Bella looked in on Chelsea and her mother a few times before she left, making sure that they were comfortable. Edward had given Chelsea a mild sedative to help her sleep, the young girl still in shock.

Grabbing her bag, Bella felt the urge to have look in on Chelsea's baby. Walking into the special care nursery, she wasn't too surprised to see Mrs Johnson standing by her grandson's crib, looking down at him, tears rolling down her eyes.

"Are you ok?" asked Bella sympathetically. The poor woman was suffering as much, if not more, than her daughter.

Mrs Johnson sniffed and wiped the tears away. "Not really. This time yesterday, things were right in my world. It's never easy on your own with a child, but I was coping. Now, everything's upside down and I don't know what I'll do."

"That's what the counsellor's here for. To help you straighten yours and Chelsea's lives"

Mrs Johnson nodded slightly. "How could I not have noticed? Was I so caught up in my own life that I didn't see what was happening with Chelsea's? I know the boy, you know. He's a neighbour. I want him to pay for what he did to my little girl," she said bitterly.

Bella didn't say anything. They both looked at the sleeping infant, his tiny fingers twitching.

"This is my grandson and I don't know how I feel about him. He's like a stranger's baby."

"That's not surprising, Mrs Johnson. Most people have nine months to get used to the idea, prepare but you didn't have that opportunity. Hopefully with time, things will get clearer," sympathised Bella.

"Social Services are coming in the morning. They're going to ask what we plan to do about him. I just don't know," whispered Mrs Johnson.

"They won't expect an answer straight away. This is an unusual situation and they'll give both you and Chelsea time to decide."

"He's very cute, isn't he?" murmured Mrs Johnson as her grandson's face scrunched up in sleep.

Bella smiled. "Yes, he is. He's lovely." Touching Mrs Johnson on the shoulder, Bella spoke. "I truly hope everything works out for the best for all of you. I'll see you both tomorrow. I would suggest you try to get some sleep. It's been a draining day."

"Yes, I suppose so," agreed Mrs Johnson wearily.

Bella bade her goodnight and left the hospital. It was nearly midnight by the time she got home and she was exhausted. The traumatic events of the day had taken it out of her. After a hot shower she went to bed, needing to sleep before her next shift in the morning.

Her thoughts turned to Edward and she smiled wistfully. That kiss in his office had definitely fulfilled one of her fantasies about him. The things that man did to her emotions! The smile was still on her face as she fell asleep to dream about being in Edward's arms.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Bella's heart was beating fast as she knocked on Edward's door the following afternoon. She'd raced home after her shift and changed into more casual clothes. Jacob had rung to see if she wanted to go to the movies that night but Bella had to decline, of course.

"Got a hot date?" teased Jacob.

"As a matter of fact, yes," replied Bella.

"What? Who with?"

"Why so surprised? Am I that hideous?" asked an indignant Bella.

"Of course not, don't be stupid. It's just that you haven't been out with a guy for ages," said Jacob, surprise still evident in his voice.

"Well, he hasn't been here long."

"Who is it? Do I know him?" asked Jacob curiously

"It's the new doctor. Carlisle's son, Edward Cullen," answered Bella.

"Oh. Well, good for you, Bella. Hope he treats you good or he'll have to answer to me," said Jacob, only half teasing.

Bella just chuckled. "I gotta go, I have to get ready."

"Ok. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," teased Jacob.

"That doesn't exactly narrow my options then, does it?" she laughed.

Edward opened the door, his eyes lighting up in delight as he saw her. Reaching out, he pulled Bella inside, shutting the door behind her.

Pushing her back against the door, Edward leaned into her and kissed her passionately, pressing his body against her, letting her know what she did to him.

Moaning, Bella wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly to her, loving the feel of his taut body against hers. Edward's hands moved over her back before lowering down to cup her backside and pulling her urgently into him.

"God, you feel good," murmured Edward against her throat. "And taste good." He was taking gentle nips on her neck, soothing it with his tongue.

Bella bent her head to the side, exposing more of her throat to his urgent mouth. "So do you," she replied breathlessly, grinding her hips into his. He was so hard against her, his need for her evident.

Her hands gripped the sides of his head and she pulled his mouth back to hers, needing to taste him again. Bodies entwined, pressed against his front door, there wasn't a breath of space between them. Bella could feel her restraint slipping and any moment now she was going to beg him to take her here, against the door, her body moist and languid with desire.

As if sensing her control slipping away, Edward pulled away, on the brink himself. Stepping back he cupped her cheek, still breathing heavily. Bella smiled, her eyes nearly black with desire, her lips red and swollen from his kisses.

"Hi," he said sexily, his voice husky with desire.

"Hi yourself. Do you greet all your visitors like this?" she teased.

"Only the gorgeous ones," he quipped. "Come into my parlour!"

Laughing, Bella allowed herself to be led into the rest of the house, Edward showing her around. A couple of rooms had ladders and paint in them.

"Mom and Alice have been busy. One or two rooms at a time."

"Esme did a good job finding this place for you," commented Bella.

"It suits me. Do you want something to drink? Good host I am! You've been working all day and I accost you and don't even offer you any refreshment," he said wryly.

Bella giggled and hugged him. "I certainly didn't mind being accosted."

"Don't say that!" he groaned, giving her another kiss. "Come on," he said, taking her hand.

He asked about her day as he prepared their meal, Bella telling him about the visit by Social Services. "I know Chelsea was scared. She thought she was in trouble. They were really good though. They spoke with her and her mother for ages and gave them information on their options. They also got information on the baby's father."

"Any idea what they're going to do about the baby?" he asked while serving up.

"No. I don't think it's sunk in yet."

After dinner, they sat together on his couch talking, Edward's arm around her as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Have you always lived in Forks?" he asked, his hand idly stroking her hair.

"No. I was born here but my parents separated when I was a toddler. My mom moved us to Phoenix. I used to visit dad during holidays until I was sixteen when I moved back to live with him."

"Why was that? Didn't you get on with your mother?" he asked curiously.

"Oh no, nothing like that. Mom's a bit of a free spirit, more my friend than mother in many ways. I tended to look after her more than the other way around."

"Didn't that bother you? Being just a kid?"

"Not really. That's just the way Renae is. On the other hand, she was heaps more fun than most mothers. She didn't care if we made a huge mess baking cakes or doing artwork. She would come up with fun ideas, like dressing up and making up plays and stuff like that. My school friends loved coming over. They thought Mom was the coolest mom around," said Bella, smiling nostalgically.

"So why did you leave?"

"Mom got remarried to Phil. He used to play baseball in the minor leagues. He needed to travel with his team and she wanted to go with him. It was understandable, they were only recently married. I saw that she missed him when he was away and thought it would be best if I came to live with Dad so that they could be together."

"That was really selfless of you," he commented. "For such a young girl."

"Not really. It just seemed the right thing to do."

"How did you adjust? Phoenix and Forks are poles apart. In just about all ways."

"I have to admit I hated it at first. It was cold and rainy and too green. After Phoenix it was like a different planet. I knew some kids from my visits over the years so school wasn't too bad. It was mainly the weather. And living permanently with Dad was different to visiting for a few weeks."

"I can imagine. Do you see your mother often?"

"Usually around once or twice a year. She lives in Florida now. I'm spending Christmas with her and Phil this year. I'll be gone for a couple of days."

Edward nodded slowly. "What about your father? Do you get on with him?"

"Yeah. Dad's not much of talker so don't try to talk to him about feelings. He breaks out in hives! But he loves me and can be overprotective at times. He's terrible at looking after himself so I still do a lot of it."

"No wonder you're so good with the patients. Taking care of people seems to come naturally to you, doesn't it?"

Bella shrugged. "I suppose so. That's part of the reason I chose this profession. It seemed an extension of what I'd been doing all my life."

"And who looks after you?" murmured Edward, tilting her face up to look into her eyes.

Bella felt like she was drowning in the depths of his green eyes. "I don't need looking after."

"Everyone needs someone to look after them sometimes, Bella."

"What about you? Who looks after you, Edward?"

"Mom, Alice. Sometimes they look after me too much," he said wryly.

"You've got a wonderful family, Edward," she said.

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm lucky. And even though Alice drives me crazy at times, I love her dearly."

"It's hard not to, isn't it?" she chuckled. "She basically stormed into my life and I can't imagine not knowing her now."

Edward laughed and tightened his hold on her. "Yep, that's Alice."

"What about you? Where did you grow up?" she asked him.

"In Chicago. I was born and lived there until I went to college. Nothing as interesting as you," he declared.

"Where did you go to college?"

"Dartmouth. When I got sick I went back to Chicago for treatment. Mom wanted me near while I underwent chemo. Once I got the all clear, I went back to continue my studies."

"You must have been really scared," said Bella, imagining a young Edward being confronted by the knowledge he had cancer.

"I suppose so. To tell the truth, I was so busy trying to fight it, that I didn't really stop to think of the alternative. If I had, I probably would have fallen apart and cursed life and the luck that had befallen me."

"I'm glad you had your family around you when you were sick."

Bella felt her eyes droop as they talked. It had been a draining weekend, filled with incredible highs and some awful lows. Top of her list was being with Edward like this. She was happy to stay like this forever.

Noticing that she hadn't spoken for a while, Edward looked down and saw that she'd fallen asleep, her lips parted as she breathed.

Smiling tenderly, he shifted her so that her head was in his lap, a cushion under it. Bella sighed in her sleep and mumbled something he couldn't make out.

He spent the next hour gently stroking her hair, marvelling at its silky softness, bringing strands up to his face to breathe in the strawberry scent.

Edward couldn't remember being this content ever. Just sitting here, watching her sleep, filled him with a calmness that pervaded his whole being. Even his constant desire for her had abated, ready to roar back into life when she looked at him. Tenderness had replaced the desire, for now.

With his fingertip, he traced over her full lips remembering how they felt against his. Like a blind man, he learned the planes and angles of her face, committing it to memory. Then he reached down and took her hand in his, lifting it to his face and softly kissing her palm.

The movement caused Bella to stir and turn towards him. Slowly, her eyes opened. He saw the instant she realised where she was when her eyes widened in surprise at the position she was in.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, struggling to sit up.

"Shh! It's okay," he soothed. "You've been asleep that's all."

"Asleep? Why didn't you wake me? I'm so embarrassed!" she groaned.

Edward chuckled. "Don't be. You looked enchanting," he soothed, stroking her cheek. "I enjoyed watching you sleep."

"I didn't say anything, did I?"

"You mumbled something but I didn't catch it. Do you often talk in your sleep?" he asked curiously.

Bella blushed as she answered. "I have been known to hold whole conversations in my sleep."

"Sounds interesting."

"No, it's embarrassing. Who knows what I'll say?" said a mortified Bella.

Her face was flushed with sleep and embarrassment, her lips parted. Edward couldn't wait another second to taste them and pulled her into his embrace, their mouths meeting in a fierce kiss that had both their heart rates soaring.

It was getting quite late by the time Bella left his house, her body tingling from his equally devastating goodbye kiss.

Bella didn't know how much longer she could wait before begging him to make love to her.

Not long. Not long at all.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: Review and let me know what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hi again. This chapter seemed to take me ages to write as I was struggling a bit with tiredness and mild writer's block. Starting the chapter is always the hardest part!**

**Thanks so much for your support and reviews. **

**To the impatient 99redballoons: you can rest easy now and be assured I'm working on the next chapter :)**

**Thanks to MrsKatyCullen for going over this for me.**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 9

"So, things are looking promising with you and Edward?" The wide grin on Alice's face betrayed her delight in her brother's blossoming relationship with Bella.

"Why don't you tell me? You seem to be as involved in this as we are," smirked Bella as she looked at the menu.

Alice burst into a peal of laughter at Bella's words.

They were sitting in a cafe near Alice's shop having lunch together. Alice had rung this morning to see if Bella was free to join her. Not on duty until Wednesday, Bella had readily agreed. She figured she may as well get the inquisition over. She knew Alice was probably bursting a blood vessel in her curiosity to find out how her date with Edward had gone. And she didn't want to upset a pregnant woman.

"I know I'm nosy. I can't help myself," chuckled Alice. "Seriously though, I just want my two favourite people to be happy."

"I know you do. And yes, things are looking promising."

"Ooh, that's good. So how was the date and have you seen each other since? Edward wouldn't tell me anything," pouted Alice.

Bella smiled as she thought about the date on Friday and last night. "The date was great. It was wonderful. And I saw him last night. I went to his place for dinner."

Alice clapped her hands. "He cooked for you? Now I know you must be special. Edward isn't the biggest fan of cooking."

"It was just steak and salad. Nothing complicated."

Alice leaned forward and spoke softly. "So, did you do it?"

"Alice!" Bella gaped at her friend.

"What? Oh come on, Bella. There's so much chemistry between you two that I'm surprised you didn't spend the whole weekend in bed."

Bella just shook her head at Alice's forwardness. "No. We didn't do it, ok?"

"Oh, why not?" Alice looked disappointed.

"Because we're not ready. We want to get to know each other first. When the time's right, if the time's right, we'll take it further."

"Bet he won't be able to wait too long," mumbled Alice.

"Me neither," smiled Bella, evoking another laugh from Alice.

"Well I have to admire your restraint. I had Jasper in bed within a few hours. I don't think we left it for two days," laughed Alice.

"You are incredible. I actually feel sorry for Jasper."

"Don't be. He's never had it so good. He may look like an angel but he's a devil in the bedroom."

"Way too much information, Alice."

Their orders arrived as they continued talking. Bella told her that Edward had revealed his fertility problems.

"Oh wow!" breathed Alice, her eyes wide. "No-one outside the family knows about that. He must really like you. How did you react when he told you?'

"I was more upset that he had to go through cancer treatment than anything else. As for his infertility, well there's millions of people with similar problems."

Alice reached out and took Bella's hand. "I'm so glad you feel that way. I think Edward may somehow feel less of a man because of it, however stupid that is. I think you're perfect for each other."

"Less of a man!" cried an outraged Bella. "How dare he even think that? I don't think I've ever met such a masculine man in my life. He's handsome, funny, charming, intelligent, caring, sweet. He'd better not say that to my face or I'll give him a piece of my mind!"

Alice just beamed at her. "Welcome to the family."

Forcing herself to calm down, Bella realised what Alice had just said. "Alice, don't. We're going to see where this leads, but there aren't any promises. I'm overwhelmingly attracted to him, all of him, but I don't know how I feel. It's too soon. All I know is that I've never felt anything this strong before."

"I think, no I know, that Edward feels the same. All right, I won't hassle either of you unless I feel you need a push in the right direction."

Bella just shook her head. "I don't think I expected anything less," she smiled. She decided it was time to change the subject. "Edward invited me to the hospital's Yule Ball so I need you to help me find a dress."

Alice clapped her hands in excitement. "Oh yes! I'm sure I've got something that will be just the thing. If not, we'll hunt it down."

"You make it sound like a hunting trip in the savannah," laughed Bella.

"Sometimes fashion is a jungle, Bella," said Alice with a serious look on her face. "You want something that will knock Edward's socks off."

"Well, I bow to the expert."

The Ball was only three weeks away and Alice declared that they didn't have any time to waste. "You need not only the dress, but shoes, a bag, accessories. Plus we need to work out how you'll wear your hair."

"Alice slow down! It's just a dance, not a wedding."

"Same thing. Okay, not exactly, but still a lot of work. So come on, let's get started." Alice insisted on paying and they walked back to her shop.

"We've talked about nothing but me," said Bella. "How are you feeling Alice? Any morning sickness?"

"Yeah, but I've been getting it mainly at night for some reason. Why is that?"

"It sometimes happens that way. It could be worse, you could feel sick at all times of the day."

"Ugh! It's bad enough now. I'm alright all day, then after dinner, wham, I spend all evening in the loo. God I hope it goes away soon," groaned Alice.

Bella commiserated with her friend. "Try eating something light at dinner. Swap your meals and eat the main one during the day. It might help."

"Ok, I'll try that. Let's see, what would suit you?" Alice wandered around the racks, searching through the formal dresses for a dress for Bella. Picking a few, she handed them to her.

"Here, try these on to start with." Bella took the dresses and reluctantly began stripping off her clothes.

She really didn't enjoy the whole 'trying clothes on' business. It bored her silly. Buying clothes just wasn't on her list of fun things to do. Sure she liked having the occasional nice outfit, she just didn't want to go through the whole rigmarole of buying it. Luckily Alice seemed to know just what suited her. Unfortunately, getting something for the Ball would involve trying on various dresses.

Alice wasn't happy with any of the dresses Bella tried on. She looked at Bella, her lips pursed in concentration, tapping her finger against her cheek.

"Are we finished now?" asked a weary Bella, longing to put her jeans back on.

"Ok, I've got one more dress. I didn't bring it out because I thought it might be a little too risqué for you, but I think it will look stunning." Walking over to a far rack, Alice pulled out a deep blue satin dress.

"Now, don't say anything until you've put it on. Please," demanded Alice.

Bella reluctantly agreed. Taking the dress, she entered the dressing room. When she looked at the dress properly, Bella gasped softly. Alice didn't really think she would wear this, did she?

The front looked relatively modest but there was absolutely no back on it. It was a halter neck, with the neckline quite high. It fastened at the back of the neck with rhinestone straps. Another longer strap hung down the back and was connected to dress down near the hips.

As Bella put it on, she looked at herself in the mirror. The satin material clung to her body and the only bare skin visible from the front were her shoulders and arms. That was until she turned around. Bella gasped as she saw her back completely exposed. The rhinestone strap from the neck to her hips was the only adornment. There was no way she was wearing this.

Walking out of the dressing room, Bella was about to say as much when she heard Alice squeal.

"Oh my god Bella! That looks absolutely stunning on you. My god, Edward won't be able to keep his hands off you."

"You don't seriously think I would wear this, do you? It's almost indecent," protested Bella.

"Don't be silly. It's fabulous. You look like some siren from the 40's."

"More like Jessica Rabbit."

Alice giggled. "And do you know how many grown men lusted after that cartoon character? Seriously Bella, you'll knock everyone dead in this. It is seriously sexy."

"How am I supposed to wear a bra in this?"

"You don't of course." At Bella's outraged look, Alice shook her head. "Geez Bella, it's not like you've got huge boobs or anything. You can go braless for one night."

"It'll be cold. I don't want my nipples showing like headlights!"

"You won't. The material's quite thick and I'll lend you my faux fur stole to wear to the club. Come on Bella, take a risk," she urged.

Bella bit her lip as she looked at herself. She had to admit the dress was dead sexy. Would Edward appreciate it? And how would she cope with his hands touching her bare skin all night? She would probably go up in flames right there in the ballroom.

The little known rebellious part of Bella wanted to wear the dress, wanted to see Edward's eyes pop out of his head when he saw the back. Was she brave enough?

Why not? She was 26 years old. A grown woman. Why shouldn't she feel sexy and desirable? She had concentrated on her work for so long, maybe it was time to let the siren out to play. Was she ready for the possible consequences? Already, she and Edward were close to combusting when they were together. She had three weeks to decide.

"All right, I'll take it," she declared, biting the bullet. She would have to find something else in case she chickened out. Not that she would tell Alice.

"Yay! If you haven't done it with Edward after wearing this, I'll be convinced he's gay."

"Alice!" laughed Bella.

Alice walked around Bella, pinning the dress where it needed to be taken in. The hem would need to be taken up as well.

"We'll need to get your shoes before I pin the hem. Either blue or silver I think." Taking hold of Bella's hair, Alice toyed with leaving it down or putting it up. "Pinned up loosely with loose strands would look good. That way your back will be the focus."

"Yeah I bet," mumbled Bella, her rebellious side already making a hasty retreat.

"Hmm, some dangly earrings and chunky bracelet will top it off," mused Alice.

"I hope you have a girl. I can imagine you getting her ready for her prom."

"Me too. I'd love a girl but I don't mind either way. As long as it's healthy."

When Bella left that afternoon, she knew, that for better or for worse, she was going to set tongues wagging at the Yule Ball.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Bella went to visit Charlie that afternoon to be told that he was leaving on Friday to go north with Billy, Jacob and Quil, another Quileute Indian.

While grilling him that he had everything he needed, Jacob arrived.

"So, how's the doc, Bella. Good date?" leered Jacob.

Charlie looked up, the question on his face. "Huh? What's this?"

Bella glared at Jacob, and sarcastically mouthed 'thanks' at him. Jacob just grinned back. She hadn't brought up Edward with Charlie because she didn't feel like getting the third degree about him. When their relationship became more established, she was planning to introduce Edward to her father.

"It's nothing Dad. I just went on a date with Edward Cullen, the new obstetrician I told you about."

"Oh. Do I get to meet him?" questioned Billy, one eyebrow raised.

Bella just rolled her eyes. You'd think she was still sixteen, the way her father carried on.

"I've only just started going out with him Dad. Maybe after you come back from your trip. Anyway, he's Carlisle's son. I thought you liked Carlisle."

"I do," nodded Charlie. "But this Edward had still better behave himself."

"Dad, please," groaned Bella, the situation not being helped by Jacob's chuckle.

Bella turned to him and pointed to the kitchen. Jacob, getting the message, went into the kitchen followed by a very annoyed Bella.

"Thanks a lot, Jake!"

"What?" laughed Jacob. "He was going to find out eventually anyway. You know you can't keep a secret in this place."

"Well, I would have liked to have chosen when I tell him about Edward myself, Jake."

"Sure, sure. Anyway, how's it going with him?" asked Jacob.

"So far, so good. We're getting to know each other. I really like him," admitted Bella.

"You'd have a lot in common," said Jacob. "With both of you working in the hospital."

"Yeah, there is that. But I like him. As a person."

"Hope it works out," said Jake softly, ruffling her hair.

"What about you Jake? Isn't there anyone who's caught your fancy lately?"

Jacob shook his head. "Nah. They're all the same. Only interested in themselves."

Bella put her hand on his shoulder in sympathy. "Someone will come along. I'm sure of it. Maybe I should get Alice to turn her hand at finding you a girl. She might leave me alone then," grinned Bella.

Jacob looked at Bella in horror. "What! No. God no. I'll do the looking myself, thanks."

"As you wish," laughed Bella.

The three of them had dinner before Bella went home. She promised to come and see Charlie before they left on Friday.

Once at home, Bella decided to send Edward a text. She didn't know if he was home but had missed talking to him today. As she wasn't working tomorrow either, she might not see him until Wednesday. Just listening to his voice would have to suffice for now.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Edward shrugged off his jacket and tossed it tiredly onto his bed. Pushing off his shoes, he loosened his tie as he lay back, closing his eyes. The day had been more hectic than usual and he was feeling it tonight.

He was also missing Bella. She wasn't on duty until Wednesday and he didn't know if he could wait until then to see her. Even though he wouldn't have been able to touch her in the way he wanted to, just her presence would have been enough. Just seeing her would have soothed him.

The image of Bella's beautiful face swam inside his closed eyes, making him smile. He remembered every moment of the time they had spent together since Friday night. Being with her was magic. Every moment with her made him want to be with her even more. Her touch, her smell, her kiss; it was like a slice of his own personal heaven.

Edward could feel his body stir as the memories floated past each other in his head. He was amazed at the level of restraint he was managing to show with her. Every single cell in his body was on fire for her.

His phone vibrated alerting him to a received message. Looking at the screen, he smiled when he saw Bella's name.

**Hi. Missed u today. R U home yet?**

Making himself comfortable, he dialled her number. Listening to her voice whilst lying in his bed would have to substitute for having her warm, soft body next to him.

"Hi," answered Bella.

"Hi beautiful. I missed you too. I was thinking about you."

"Were you? What were you thinking?"

"I was wishing you were lying here in bed with me," answered Edward. He smiled as he heard her moan softly.

"And what would we be doing?" she asked teasingly.

Edward chuckled softly. "Do you want me to describe it to you? How I would be kissing you all over? How I would slowly remove your clothes until you were laid bare before me? How I would make love you to all night until we were both exhausted? What else would you like me to describe?"

Bella didn't saying anything for a few moments. "I think that's enough for now," she said huskily.

"Yeah, or I'll be cutting this call short to go take a cold shower."

Bella giggled. "I've had few of those since I met you," she admitted.

Edward groaned, his body proving his words weren't a lie. "Let's change the topic, as much as I'm enjoying it."

"Okay," laughed Bella. "How was your day?" she asked, sticking to a safe subject.

"Busy. I'm exhausted."

"Why?" she asked, not able to contain her curiosity where work was concerned.

"Nothing in particular, just a constant flow of work all day. I'm glad I'm not on call."

"How's Chelsea?" Bella hadn't been able to get the young girl out of her mind.

"She's being discharged tomorrow. Physically she's fine but emotionally..." sighed Edward.

"Yeah. What about her baby? Any idea what's happening with him?"

"He's being kept in special care for the time being. I don't know what, if any, decision about his future has been made."

"Poor kid. Poor mother," said Bella sadly.

"We can only hope things work out for the best."

There was silence for a few moments as they thought about Chelsea and her mother.

"What did you do with your day off," asked Edward, wanting to lighten the conversation.

"Oh, spent a large portion of it with your sister."

"Really? Did she give you the third degree?"

"Just about," chuckled Bella. "She basically wanted to know why we didn't spend the whole weekend in bed."

"Why didn't we?" teased Edward.

"Don't start that again," said Bella with mock sternness before laughing again. "Well for a start, I worked most of it, remember?"

"Oh yeah, I seem to recall that small detail. You know, it's not good to upset a pregnant woman. We may have to grant Alice her wish," said Edward.

"About what?"

"About spending the weekend in bed together. We'll have to make sure we fulfil her wishes."

"You have a bit of one track mind, don't you?" laughed Bella

"Only with you." Clearing his throat, Edward continued. "Okay, so was our sex life, or potential sex life, the only topic of conversation?"

"No. She helped me look for a dress to wear to the Ball."

"Find anything?"

"We found something, but I don't know if I can wear it, though."

"Why not?"

"It's very...revealing."

"I like it already," teased Edward.

"Pervert. Seriously though, I don't know. I'll have to think about it although Alice is totally convinced it's perfect for me."

"What's it like?"

"I can't tell you that. I might end up wearing it and I want to surprise you," replied Bella.

"Spoilsport." He heard her giggle, the sound warming his soul.

"You guys have it so easy. It's a choice of black, black, black or black."

"Oh come on! We do have to decide on the tie."

"What tie? It's black dress. You'll wear a bow tie."

"I might decide to wear a colourful bow tie and cummerbund. What do you suggest? Orange? Polka dots?"

"Silly," giggled Bella.

"I'm actually really looking forward to it, you know. I can't wait to be able to dance with you."

"Me either," admitted Bella. "Although I'm a pretty awful dancer. I'll have to make sure I don't maim Forks' newest doctor."

"I'll wear my steel-capped boots, if you like. As long as I get to hold you close, it'll be worth it," said Edward.

"Hope you still feel that way by the end of the night," mumbled Bella.

Edward chuckled at her tone. "Surely, you can't be that bad."

"Outside of work, I can be a bit of klutz."

"I don't believe you. I've never seen you do anything remotely klutzy."

"I don't at work, for some reason. It's weird. But away from it and I'm totally accident prone. Nothing serious, luckily but embarrassing none the less."

"That makes you even more adorable," chuckled Edward. "Until I see it though, I won't believe you."

"Don't say you weren't warned."

"What are you doing tomorrow?" asked Edward, wondering how he was going to get through another day without seeing her.

"I'm coming in for the antenatal class in the evening. You want to come to that?" she teased.

"After being the object of everyone's amusement last week, I think I'll pass."

"Oh what a shame. Chicken!" teased Bella.

"Cluck...cluck...cluck! Yep, I'm a chicken alright. I'm not facing those pregnant women en masse again!"

Bella burst out laughing, her tinkling laugh making him start laughing again. It felt good to just be able to laugh with Bella, even over the silliest thing. He'd never experienced that with a woman, other than his sister. He was just so comfortable with Bella, he could be himself.

Eventually they calmed down. "How about we meet up after the class?" suggested Edward.

"I'd love that," said Bella. "What do you suggest?"

"I'll hang around and we'll get dinner after your class. Bring back some memories."

"Sure will. How about we just pick up some food and bring it back to my place," suggested Bella.

"I like your idea even better," said Edward. "Sounds good. Alone with you, hmm?"

"You don't have a problem with that?"

"No ma'am."

"Good."

"I'd better go. I'll see you tomorrow then," said Edward.

"Ok."

"Bye gorgeous. Sweet dreams," he whispered.

"They will be if you're in them," she replied.

"That's it, I'm heading straight for that shower," grumbled Edward.

"Bye. Don't catch a cold."

"See you tomorrow," said Edward as they hung up.

Edward wasn't kidding about the cold shower. Dragging himself to the bathroom he turned the cold tap on. It helped. For a while.

o-o-o-o-o-o

There was a great deal of disappointment from the ladies in Bella's class when they realised that the dishy Dr Cullen wasn't going to be present.

"Sorry ladies, you'll just to make do with me, I'm afraid," lamented Bella with a smile.

"No offence Bella, but Dr Cullen did get the hormones racing. Like they weren't already!" grinned the mum-to-be.

"None taken. And I happen to agree with you," said Bella in a mock-whisper.

Bella could understand their disappointment better than anyone although she had the delicious prospect of seeing him after this class.

After another enjoyable, laughter-filled class, Bella wished them all goodnight and prepared to meet Edward. She dialled his office to see if he was there.

"Hello, Dr Cullen speaking."

"Hi handsome."

"Hey gorgeous. Class finished?" asked Edward.

"Yep. You ready to leave?"

"Sure am. What did you want to do? We're in two cars."

"Why don't you follow me home, then we'll get something to eat," suggested Bella.

"Sounds good. Meet you outside in five minutes?"

"See you then." Bella locked up and went out to her car.

She didn't have to wait long before she saw Edward come out of the doors. Bella waved to let him know where she was. Edward acknowledged her wave and walked over.

Bella wanted nothing more than to kiss him but they were in the hospital car park where anyone could see them. She settled for giving him a wide smile and welcome.

"Hi."

"I've missed you," said Edward, making Bella melt inside.

"Me too. Shall we go?" she said, a trifle unsteadily.

Edward nodded and headed to his car. Bella waited for him to draw near before pulling out of the car park and driving home, his headlights reflected in her rearview mirror.

Once back at her place, Edward didn't even wait until they were inside before sweeping her into his arms and taking her lips with his.

Bella sighed in relief at being close to him again and held him tight as their lips lingered over each other, tongues dancing.

When they finally broke apart, Edward hugged her tightly. "God, I needed to do that," he whispered into her hair as he reached up to pull the elastic off. As her hair fell down her shoulders, he buried his face in its silken softness.

Bella breathed deeply, inhaling Edward's intoxicating scent and gently kissed his neck. "I've been dying to do that since Sunday."

With a slight groan, Edward kissed her again, the passion building instantly. They were breathless in no time. Bella was faintly surprised to realise that they were still outside.

"Let's go inside, before someone drives by who knows us," suggested Bella.

Edward took her hand and led her up the stairs, their fingers entwined. Bella gave him her keys to unlock the door. Once inside, he led her to the lounge and pulled her down on his lap, resuming where they had left off.

Bella's hands tangled in Edward's hair as their mouths urgently sought the other. She felt his tongue caress her inner lips before he gently sucked her tongue. Bella was burning up in his arms. She was ready to beg him to take her to bed when her stomach emitted a loud rumble, audible to both of them.

Edward stopped and pulled back, grinning. "I think that's our signal to cool things down and get something to eat."

Bella grimaced before nodding. "I suppose so. Come on, I feel like Chinese tonight," she said, standing up and pulling him to his feet. "There's a good place down the road. We can walk. The cold air will probably do us both good."

Hand in hand, they picked up some Chinese food and ate it on her lounge while they watched the day's news on tv. Bella giggled when Edward dropped a large chunk of noodles down his shirt.

Despite the simmering desire that was always close to the surface, they laughed and joked as if they had been friends for years. Edward told her stories about his childhood, making her laugh with his horror stories about Alice.

"No wonder my parents never had any more kids after Alice," he exclaimed as he told her about the time Alice hid a mother cat and her kittens in her room, fearing they'd be tossed back out into the street.

"She found this stray cat who'd recently had a litter of kittens. Alice decided she couldn't be left in the cold Chicago streets and somehow managed to get them home. The cat had obviously been abandoned when the owners realised she was pregnant. Anyway, Alice was afraid that Mom and Dad would tell her to get rid of them, so she hid them in her closet and only let them out when she was there. She would disappear into her room the minute she got home from school and only came out for dinner."

"And your parents never twigged that something was going on?"

"They thought Alice had found a boyfriend and was talking to him all evening. This continued for about three days when Mom noticed Alice's face at dinner. It was covered in red spots. So were her hands. Mom thought she had the measles and got Dad to check her when he came home. Dad took one look at her and said she was covered in flea bites."

"Fleas!"

"Yep. The cats were riddled with them which then spread to her bed, carpet, her clothes. Mom demanded to know where she could have been bitten so badly and Alice was forced to tell them of the cats' presence. Mom marched her upstairs and made her bath each and every cat with flea shampoo, then she had to strip the bed and put her clothes in to wash. It took hours."

"What happened to the cats?"

"They let Alice keep them of course although she gave all away all but one of the kittens to good homes."

"Poor Alice. I can imagine her horror at seeing her face covered in spots!" laughed Bella.

They talked for a while longer before Edward pulled her close again. Their kiss started off playfully but quickly turned passionate and before Bella knew it, she was lying on the lounge, with Edward lying over her, his hands roaming over her hips and torso as he trailed kisses over her cheeks and throat.

Bella had pulled his shirt free of his trousers and was caressing the smooth skin of his back as his lips moved lower, nudging aside the collar of her shirt. Edward reached up and undid the buttons, pushing aside the edges and breathed in sharply as he revealed her body to his gaze.

"God, you are so beautiful," he breathed before kissing the skin between her breasts as his hand gently massaged her cotton covered breast.

Bella gasped in delight at the feel of his hand on her and she couldn't help herself from gently raking her fingernails down his back.

Edward was placing soft butterfly kisses on the curve of her breasts. "I want you so badly, Bella. I ache for you," he murmured against her skin. His finger gently pulled down the cotton material of her bra, exposing her nipple.

Bella's pulse went soaring when Edward leaned over and slowly licked around her nipple before taking it into his mouth and gently suckling on it. His hand was gently kneading the skin of her waist at the same time.

Her breath was coming in short pants by the time Edward moved over to her other breast, giving it his undivided attention. When his hips bucked into her, Bella felt the strength of his erection and some sanity fought to make its way back into her mind.

As much as she wanted Edward to make love to her, she forced herself to tug on his hair. Edward released her nipple and looked up at her, his green eyes darkened with the strength of his desire.

"I'm sorry Bella. I went too far, didn't I?" he grimaced at himself.

Leaning up, Bella kissed him softly. "No, you didn't. I loved it."

"But it's not the right time, is it?" he said.

Bella smiled ruefully and shook her head. Edward covered her breasts up and slowly did up her buttons before sitting up, pulling her up with him.

Resting her head on his shoulder, Bella tried to explain. "I'm sorry Edward."

"Don't be. I promised I'd wait until you were ready and I meant it. It's nothing a cold shower won't take care of," he grinned ruefully.

"It's just not the right time Edward. We both have to be at work tomorrow so you'll need to leave soon. I want to be able to take our time, to know that we can just lie together afterwards, without worrying about the time or work or anything else."

"I understand Bella," he soothed. "And I agree with you. You're too special to have some hasty, rushed affair. I too, want to savour the experience. So don't feel bad. I don't. It's worth a bit of discomfort, to make our first time something to remember."

"Thank you for understanding," said Bella, tears in her eyes. He was so wonderful. Her heart swelled with an emotion she couldn't put a name to yet but it was growing more and more powerful every time they were together. Softly caressing his cheek, Bella looked deeply into his green eyes. "I do want you, you know. I ache for you too."

Edward smiled tenderly and kissed her softly, their lips barely touching but somehow even more sensual than before. Afterwards, they rested their foreheads against each other.

"I'm so happy you came to Forks," whispered Bella.

"I'll always be grateful to Dad for convincing me to come," he replied.

They were quiet for a while after that, just enjoying their closeness. Eventually Edward left, giving her a final passionate kiss as he went.

Bella's last thought as she fell asleep was that she hoped she would dream of him all night long.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: Ok, I'm going to tease you for a little while - I'm enjoying the sexual tension between E & B. Not for too long though, rest assured.**

**Review and let me now what you think.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers - you really make it all worthwhile!**

**Thanks to MrsKatyCullen for going over this for me.**

Chapter 10

The weeks leading up the Yule Ball were among the happiest that Bella had spent in her life. Edward dominated her thoughts, her dreams. She could barely remember what her life had been like before Edward had come into it.

The only fly in the ointment was the fact that already there were whispers about Bella and Edward around the hospital. Bella knew it was inevitable but had hoped to keep their relationship to themselves for a while longer. She knew that the cat would be out of the bag on the night of the Ball, when they arrived together.

It hadn't taken long before Bella had been asked about Edward. When she'd gone into work on Wednesday, she could barely keep the smile off her face when she'd seen him. She'd had to suppress the longing to touch him. Other than a brief squeeze of her hand, they had acted entirely professionally, however hard that had been.

To Bella's delight though, they had managed to have lunch together, finding a corner table in the cafeteria. Although they didn't act in any way that would suggest they were more than just colleagues, their body language gave them away.

"Did you sleep well last night?" asked Edward, his green eyes glinting with memories.

"Eventually. You got me bit worked up, as you know," replied Bella.

"Oh, and like I wasn't?"

Bella smiled and Edward was hard pressed not to lean over and kiss her.

That afternoon, as Bella was getting ready to leave, she was effectively cornered by a curious Sue.

"Is there something going on between you and Dr Cullen?" asked Sue.

Bella sighed softly and turned to her. "What do you mean?" she hedged. Damn, it's started already. Unfortunately, she liked Sue and she didn't want to lie. It would be pointless anyway.

"It's just that I heard some of the nurses talking at lunch. They think the two of you are more than co-workers."

"Listening to gossip Sue?"

"I'm sorry but I couldn't help it. I'm kinda hoping it's true, though. You'd make a great couple."

What to say? Bella knew Sue wasn't an inveterate gossiper and could trust her with the truth. Making sure they were entirely alone, Bella confirmed Sue's suspicions.

"I may as well tell you. It's going to be obvious the night of the Ball anyway. Yes, Edward and I are seeing each other."

Sue grinned widely. "That's great. He's lovely. And so handsome. I'm almost jealous."

Bella laughed and gave her a hug. "Thanks Sue. It's early days yet but I'm happy. I'm just not looking forward to the whispers around here."

"It'll only be at first, Bella. Until the next new thing comes along. Then you'll be old news and no-one will care," said Sue. "So you're going to the Ball with Edward?"

"Yes. His sister Alice is getting me ready for it."

"Got a dress yet?"

"I think so. I'm still not sure about it and might change my mind. You going?"

"Sure am. Bill and I don't get out that much and it's the only chance each year that I get to dress up. Bill whines all night about having to wear a suit, but I always tell him that he looks so handsome that he's definitely getting lucky that night."

Bella burst out laughing. "You are wicked, Sue."

"It works. He says it's the only reason he comes along. Edward will look positively dreamy, don't you think?"

"Oh yes. I get goose bumps just thinking about it," agreed Bella fervently.

"And I'm sure he'll only have eyes for you too. I noticed the chemistry between you two as soon as he came."

Bella smiled as she thought about the explosive chemistry between them. The more she got to know him, the stronger her desire for him.

Edward came over that night, as he did every night that they weren't working or on call. They began to spend every free moment they had together. Bella almost felt lost when he had to go in to work. She missed his presence, his touch, his kisses. She knew he felt the same. He'd told her so.

On the morning Jake and her father were due to leave on their fishing trip, Bella had driven over to Charlie's house really early before work to say goodbye. Jacob, Quil and Billy were already there. Jacob was going to be doing the driving north to Canada, sharing with Charlie. Bella could see how excited Billy was, and was happy for him.

When Jacob asked how Edward was and when was he going meet him, Charlie had overheard.

"Yeah, Bella. I want to meet this boy. When are you going to introduce us?"

"Dad, the 'boy' is thirty years old. I'll bring him over when you get back, ok? The same with you Jake. Just go and have fun, will you?" she replied, exasperated.

"Make sure you do," said Charlie.

"You all be careful on the ice, ok? Jake, don't you go getting your butt stuck on it Or you Quil," she ordered sternly.

With hugs and kisses for all of them, Bella had left for work, promising to keep an eye on the house.

In the time she had spent with Edward, she'd told him about Jacob and his father, explaining that Jacob had been her best friend since she arrived back in Forks as a teenager.

"And there was never anything more between you?" asked Edward, wondering whether he should have asked that. If he really wanted to know.

Bella looked at him, mentally debating if she should tell the whole truth. Deciding that she didn't want doubts or lies between them, she told him.

"When I was twenty and still in Seattle, Jacob came down to stay with me one weekend. He'd often come down and we'd go out with friends from college. It gave him a chance to get away from Forks every now and then. We were both single at the time and for one reason or another, we were fed up with the whole dating scene. As we lamented the difficulty in finding someone, Jacob suggested, out of the blue, that maybe we should get together. It made sense. We were so comfortable together, we knew each other inside out. I thought why not?"

"And?" asked Edward.

"And, we realised very soon that we'd made a mistake. We couldn't get past the fact that we were best friends. It was like dating my brother. We both agreed to forget the whole thing and go back to how things were before."

Edward couldn't help it. He had to know. "Did you sleep together?"

Bella nodded. "Yes. Just the once. After we decided to get together. It was after that, that we knew we'd made a mistake. It was nice, but there wasn't any passion. It was two old friends who were pretending to be something they weren't."

Edward unclenched his teeth. He hated the thought of his Bella being with someone else. He shouldn't have asked the question. He had no right. Bella's past was just that. The past. She was with him now, wanted him.

"And you've been ok, with each other, since then?" he asked.

"Yeah. We're great. And he really wants to meet you. He's happy for me. I didn't really bother with dating after that. I just concentrated on my studies and work. Until you started at Forks Hospital."

"Is he with someone now?" asked Edward curiously.

"No. He hasn't found 'the one' yet. He's still looking though. I offered Alice's matchmaking services, but he declined," said Bella with a laugh.

"You're evil," declared Edward as he pulled her into his arms. When he began kissing her, all thoughts of Jacob fled both their minds.

o-o-o-o-o-o

On her next day off, Alice insisted Bella meet her in order to get shoes to go with the dress.

"I need to put your hem up and I can't do that without you wearing the shoes you intend to wear with it." Despite Bella's less than enthusiastic response, Alice dragged Bella around the shoe stores in Port Angeles.

"Those are perfect," declared Alice as Bella tried on the umpteenth pair of shoes.

Bella looked at them with a wary eye. They were shiny silver stilettos, much higher than anything Bella had worn before. "Al, I don't want to break my neck."

"Don't be silly. You'll be fine. They'll look fabulous with the dress."

Bella let herself be persuaded to buy the shoes. Pleading the need to have a break, they found a cafe and had some lunch.

"Now, we have to get you some underwear," said Alice as they ate.

"I have underwear, Alice."

"Bella, you don't want to have lines under the dress, do you? No. Do you have a thong?"

"A thong! I'm not wearing a thong under the dress," protested Bella.

"Of course you are. It's the only solution," insisted Alice.

"Isn't there something else. I hate thongs," grimaced Bella. "I feel like I need to spend the whole time pulling my pants from my butt."

Alice laughed. "They do take some getting used to, I admit. But honestly, it's the best solution." At Bella's scowl, Alice continued. "We might be able to find something seamless that might do if you're really set against it. But if we can't find anything, a thong it is."

After lunch they walked to a lingerie store To Bella's relief, Alice managed to find a pair of lace boy-leg underwear which had no seams. They even matched the dress in colour. "We'll have to road-test these first. If I see a hint of line..."

"I know, I know, it'll be a thong," finished Bella for her.

Carrying their purchases, they went back to Alice's shop where Alice made Bella put the dress on, complete with shoes and underwear. Again, Bella was taken aback by the amount of skin the dress revealed.

When she walked out, Alice and her assistant, Nina both exclaimed in delight.

"You look so good, Bella," said Nina, walking around Bella, to see her from all angles. "Great choice Alice."

"I know. I'm good, if I do say so myself," said Alice, tongue in cheek.

There were only ten days until the Ball and Alice wanted to make sure the dress was perfect by then. With Nina's help, they pinned up the hem.

"I'll lend you some jewellery," mumbled Alice, her mouth full of pins.

"Ok. You know, I'm actually looking forward to it," admitted Bella.

"If Edward saw this dress, he'd be tearing down your door in anticipation. When are you both free? I want you to come over for dinner."

"I'm working Friday night but I'm free Saturday and Sunday. I think Edward's on call this weekend though." It sometimes got hard to co-ordinate their free time.

"No matter. I'll work something out. Maybe even lunch instead."

Bella was working that night so she knew she wouldn't be seeing Edward as Dr Haas was the doctor on call. She went in a bit early and was delighted to find that Edward hadn't left yet.

Making sure no-one was watching, Bella went into Edward's office and locked the door behind her. With a delighted smile, Edward pulled her into his arms as Bella wrapped hers around his neck.

With a small groan of delight, Edward's lips met Bella's. They kissed hungrily for what seemed an endless time before Edward's mouth trailed over her cheek and down to her throat. Bella sighed as Edward kissed a particularly sensitive spot below her ear, her hand tangled in his unruly hair.

"Mmm, you smell good enough to eat," murmured Edward as he gently nipped at Bella's neck.

"I like that idea," replied Bella with a smile. She turned her head to suck on Edward's ear, delighting in his swift intake of air.

Before they could get too carried away, Edward lifted his head and smiled down at her. "That will have to keep me going until the next time I see you."

"Yeah. Shame I'm working the next three nights. I'll hardly get to see you," pouted Bella prettily.

"I'll miss you. You're not working this weekend are you?" he asked.

Bella shook her head. "No, we'll be able to spend some time together at least."

"Good. Mom asked if we wanted to go to Sunday lunch at their place?"

"Oh, that's nice of her. I'd love to go. I wouldn't miss the chance to eat your Mom's cooking," said Bella.

Edward laughed and held her tight. "I'll tell her you said so."

With no little regret, Bella gave Edward one last, sweet kiss and stepped back. "I'd better go. We don't want to get tongues wagging even more than they already are."

"Yes. I've had a few comments," said Edward.

"I'm sorry," grimaced Bella. "I know you hate being gossiped about, after Tanya."

Edward took her face between his hands, softly stroking her skin with his thumbs. "Hey, it's ok. We knew it was going to happen. At least they're gossiping about something that's true this time. And if it means being able to do this..." Edward leaned down and kissed her deeply, making Bella's pulse race. "It's definitely worth every whisper or comment."

Reluctantly, Bella said goodbye and went to work. During the night they had an admission. Leah Clearwater came in about 2am, in labour with her fourth baby. She'd only had her first contraction an hour earlier, but from previous experience, she knew she'd better get to the hospital fast.

"Hey Leah," greeted Bella, as she helped the labouring woman onto the bed. "Not wasting any time, are we?" she joked.

"No. I think this one's the most impatient," she said, before gasping in pain as another contraction started.

"How far apart are the contractions?" Bella asked her husband, Jared, as she got the equipment ready. Turning on the machine, they instantly heard the rapid heartbeat echo throughout the room.

"Only a couple of minutes apart, I think," replied Jared, taking hold of his wife's hand.

"Well, you're an old hand at this Leah. What's your feeling?" asked Bella, pulling on gloves to give her an internal examination.

"Not long Bella. They're feeling pretty continuous at the moment." She groaned again.

"Yep, you're right. You're nearly fully dilated." She took off her gloves and quickly rang through for another midwife to assist. "Unfortunately, it's too late to give you any painkiller other than gas."

"Don't care," panted Leah. "I never seem to have time to get painkillers."

Melanie, the other midwife on duty came in. Together they got the birth pack ready. Within ten minutes, Leah cried out that she felt like pushing.

Wanting to sit on the bed, Bella adjusted the back for Leah, in order to support her weight, while taking off the detachable end of the bed, allowing easier access.

Moaning loudly now, Leah's face got red and sweaty. During one particularly painful contraction, she turned on her husband. "Damn you Jared! That's it. You're getting neutered after this. I'm not doing this again. Ohhhh!"

Bella bit her lip to stop herself laughing as she saw the chagrin on poor Jared's face at his wife's outburst. Bella had heard a lot worse in her time delivering babies.

"A couple of bricks should do it," groaned Leah. Jared just gulped at the thought.

Bella and Melanie burst out laughing. They couldn't help it. "Don't worry, she'll forgive you the moment the baby's here," she whispered to Jared.

"Don't count on it!" said Leah.

Within the next few minutes, Leah began pushing in earnest. After only three strong pushes, Bella could see the baby's head crowning.

"Ok Leah, here we go. One big push and the head will be out," said Bella.

"Ahhh..." cried Leah, her face turning maroon with her efforts. Slowly, the baby's head emerged. Bella saw that the umbilical cord was wrapped around its neck.

"Ok, don't push now, Leah. I need to remove the cord from its neck." Carefully, Bella unwrapped the cord, ensuring the baby wouldn't be choked as its body emerged. Leah panted swiftly, waiting for the ok to push again. Bella turned the baby's head and prepared to catch. "Ok, push on the next contraction, Leah."

With a loud cry, Leah pushed her baby out, the infant crying out loudly in protest at being pushed out of its warm, cosy cocoon.

"It's a boy, Leah," said Bella with a smile as she held the wriggling baby.

Breathing heavily, Leah turned and kissed her husband, obviously all forgiven. "That's nice. Now we have matching pairs."

Bella gave the baby a swift look over, noting that he seemed perfectly healthy then asked Jared to cut the cord. When she gave the baby to his mother, both parents were oblivious of everything other than their new son. Bella delivered the placenta without any fuss and she and Melanie cleaned Leah up.

"Good work Leah," said Bella. "If everyone was as quick as you, I wouldn't have much to do." Bella looked at the clock. It was just past 3am, so Leah had taken an hour to deliver her baby. "If you have any more, I think you might have to camp out outside the hospital, you'll probably deliver that fast."

"If you think I'm doing this again, you're dreaming," said Leah, cuddling her son close. "Nope. This is it. I have an even number, two boys, two girls. I'm not messing with that. Are we Jared?" She looked pointedly at her husband.

"Yeah ok. I'll go and get snipped," said Jared, a look of resignation on his face.

"Good idea, if you want to get any," replied Leah.

Bella chuckled. "It's not that bad, Jared. I promise."

"Yeah, if I can push four heads out of my nether regions, you can have one tiny little snip in yours."

Jared winced then took his son, while Bella finished cleaning Leah up.

"I'll leave you guys alone for a while, ok," said Bella. "If you need anything, just ring the buzzer."

That was a fun birth, chuckled Bella to herself as she wrote up her notes. Being an experienced mom, Leah had been relatively relaxed and knew what was happening. Poor Jared. Bella almost felt sorry for him.

Bella was reminded of poor Chelsea Johnson's birth, nearly two weeks ago now. Such different emotions to tonight's. Such different circumstances. Chelsea's baby had been discharged two days ago. For the moment, the baby had been placed in foster care. The authorities were hoping that Chelsea and her mother would decide to keep the baby. Bella knew that they were receiving counselling. She'd heard on the grapevine that the baby's father had been arrested by the Port Angeles Police and released on bail. She wondered how Mrs Johnson was coping, seeing as he was a neighbour. Hopefully, he was staying elsewhere.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully, and Bella was glad to get home the next morning and straight to bed. Her last thought before falling asleep was, as always, of Edward.

o-o-o-o-o-o

It was early afternoon on Saturday when Edward knocked on Bella's door. After working the night shift again, she needed to get some sleep. Bella opened the door to Edward's sexy smile and threw herself at him.

Edward lifted her bodily into his arms before devouring her with his mouth. Relief at being together again after nearly three days apart lent an urgency to their kiss. There was nothing gentle about this kiss; this was just pent up passion.

Without thought, Bella wrapped her legs around Edward's waist, her hands spearing into his hair as she pulled him as close as possible. His hands were holding her tight and Bella couldn't stop the moan when one hand moved down to her behind. She was on fire for him. As she wriggled in his arms, she felt his hardness and knew she could wait no longer for him. She wanted him so badly.

"Bella," he gasped against her throat.

"Oh Edward. I've missed you," she whispered into his hair. One hand reached inside the collar of his shirt and she caressed the smooth skin of his shoulder.

"Ah Bella. I want you. You don't know how much," murmured Edward into her shoulder as he brought her body up tight against his, letting her feel exactly how much he wanted her.

Edward took a couple of steps towards the lounge but Bella stopped him. At the question in his eyes, Bella shook her head and pointed to another door. Her bedroom.

"Bella?"

"Yes Edward. I want you too." Taking his face between her hands, she kissed him deeply, her tongue invading his mouth, devouring him.

With a groan of relief, Edward walked to her bedroom door and opened it. He hadn't been in here before but now wasn't the time to admire the decor. Walking to the bed, he lay Bella down on it, following with his body. The sheer pleasure of lying so close stopped him for a moment.

Bella's hands were roaming all over his back, pulling his shirt free from his pants. Needing to feel her hands on his body, Edward pulled back and began undoing his buttons. As he pulled it off, Bella licked her lips in anticipation.

He was perfection. Slim but with perfectly defined muscles, his chest coated with light layer of hair. His body tapered down from his broad shoulders to his waist, his trousers now riding low on his hips. A trail of hair went from his belly button down into his trousers, as if leading to untold delights.

Bella reached up to run her hands over his chest, loving the feel of his muscles rippling beneath her touch. Impatiently, she pulled him down to her again, their mouths crashing together with the force of their desire. She scraped the smooth, warm skin of his back with her fingernails, smiling as she heard his sharp intake of breath.

Edward's lips left hers to trail kisses all over her face before moving down over her throat. She moaned as he gently sucked on her skin before soothing it with his tongue, tingles of pleasure running up and down her spine. Gradually, Edward's mouth moved lower to the vee between her breasts. Bella's breathing was getting more and more erratic. Edward's hand moved up and began massaging her breasts over the material of her blouse.

Bella needed to feel his mouth on her. "Take it off. Please."

Edward lifted his head and looked in deeply into her eyes. "Are you sure, Bella?" Bella only nodded. She needed this now.

With somewhat shaky fingers, Edward slowly undid the buttons on her blouse before taking it completely off. Bella was only wearing a soft pink cotton and lace bra and Edward couldn't resist rubbing his lips and cheek over her breast, feeling her taut nipples beneath the material.

"Oh Edward. Please," gasped Bella.

At her bidding, he undid the front clasp, freeing her breasts to his gaze. "Oh god Bella," he breathed. "You are perfection itself. You are beyond words, beyond my dreams." With that he lowered his head and took her eager nipple into his mouth.

Bella cried out with pleasure as he licked, nipped and sucked on her nipple before moving to the other one. Each movement sent a flame of desire down to her very core and she couldn't help squeezing her legs together, trying to ease the ache between them. It didn't work. Only Edward could ease that particular ache.

After a short while, Edward stopped to press his naked chest to hers, both of them gasping at the feel of their flesh pressed together so intimately. Bella opened her legs so that Edward could lay between them, his hardness pressing against her. He had Bella so wound up, she felt like she could snap at any moment.

Edward kneeled up between her legs and began kissing and nibbling her skin, starting at her lips and working his way down her body. Her pulse was racing and she was struggling to get breath into her lungs. Again, Edward paid particular attention to her breasts, worshipping them with his lips and tongue. Eventually his lips began working their way down her torso, the excitement building.

_How did I end up this lucky?_ Thought Edward as he learn the secrets of Bella's body. She was everything he never knew he wanted in a woman. Smart, sexy, kind, beautiful. She was perfect in his eyes.

Her skin was like silk, pale silk. He could happily spend forever just touching her skin. With his hands, his mouth, his body. When he'd uncovered the perfection of her breasts to his gaze, he'd had to close his eyes briefly to regain some control over himself. He just wanted to bury himself in her body, forget everything and everyone, revel in her warmth.

Breathing deeply of her scent, his lips and tongue feasted on her, her gasps of pleasure increasing his excitement. He'd made her this way; wanton, sensual. He wanted to pleasure her endlessly.

No-one had ever been as important to him as Bella. No-one. She consumed his waking thoughts as well as his dreams at night. He didn't feel whole until she was with him. She was in his blood and there was no cure. He didn't want a cure. Was this love? This all consuming passion he felt for her? The need to be with her? The joy he felt in just her smile? The pride he felt watching her work? If not, it was doing a very good imitation.

His mouth and hands reached the button of her jeans and he paused. He wanted her to be absolutely sure she wanted this. He couldn't bear it if she regretted it later.

"Bella, love, are you sure about this? I'll stop if you're not."

Bella's eyes were nearly black with desire as she looked at him. "Oh yes, Edward. I'm sure. Make love to me."

Closing his eyes in order to maintain some control, Edward undid the button and pulled down the zip. Underneath he could see matching pink panties and gulped. Heaven help me, he thought. He was so hard that he was actually worried he'd disgrace himself before he'd even had the chance to give her pleasure. Bella did that to him.

He leaned down and kissed the soft skin of her belly, hearing her gasp in pleasure.

"Oh god Edward," she moaned. "I want you so much."

Slowly he began to pull down her jeans, kissing the exposed skin as he went. He was so engrossed in what he was doing, he didn't notice the sound at first.

Bella opened her desire-filled eyes and frowned. "What's that?"

Edward reluctantly lifted his lips from her skin and listened. Then he swore silently. "It's my phone. I'm on call remember?"

Bella just groaned, her body suddenly cold now that he wasn't touching it. _Please don't let it be work_, she pleaded silently.

Edward fumbled in his coat pocket and found the offending object. "Edward Cullen," he barked out, pure frustration lacing his voice. He listened for a few moments before replying. "Ok, I'll be there in ten minutes."

Bella felt like crying at that moment. Damn, damn, damn, damn. Why now?

She felt Edwards lips against her cheek and opened her eyes to see his regretful green ones. "I'm so sorry Bella, but I've got to go."

Bella sighed resignedly. She, of all people, knew what his job entailed so she shouldn't be surprised this happened. It was part of the profession they'd chosen.

Taking his face between her hands, Bella pulled him down and gave him a gentle kiss of understanding. "I know. It's not your fault. I, more than anyone understand the pros and cons of our profession. It doesn't mean I'm not disappointed though. And frustrated."

Edward chuckled. "You and me both, kiddo. Lord I want you," he murmured and gave her one last lingering kiss before pulling his shirt back on.

Bella sat up and began dressing too. She walked him to the door and gave him a hug as he left. "Come back when you finish."

Edward nodded and with a last wave, left for the hospital.

o-o-o-o-o-o

It turned out that Edward was at the hospital until the early hours of the morning as they battled to save the life of a mother and her unborn baby after a car crash. The next time Bella saw Edward was when he came to pick her up the next afternoon to go for lunch with Esme and Carlisle.

On the way Edward described his, Dr Haas and the other surgeons' struggle to keep the baby and mother alive. Unfortunately the baby had lost its fight and the mother was in a critical condition, her chances of survival still touch and go. Bella could see the toll it had taken on Edward, his face still drawn. Reaching out, she took his hand and gave it squeeze then lifted it to her lips, kissing his palm in a gesture of comfort. She kept hold of it the rest of the way.

The Cullen's house was on the outskirts of town, on edge of the forest. Edward turned off the main highway into a gravel drive that wound through the thick trees. Bella's eyes widened in surprised delight as the house came into view. It was lovely.

It was a stately, double storied house that seemed to fit perfectly into the background of ancient green trees. A large, welcoming front porch greeted visitors, the banisters liberally coated with climbing plants. Painted white, the house looked like it had always been there, had grown out of the forest itself.

"It's beautiful, Edward," she said, as she watched the front door open, Esme and Carlisle coming out to greet them.

"Yeah, it is," he agreed. He climbed out of the car and jogged around to Bella's side, opening the door and helping her out. He didn't let go of her hand as they walked up greet a smiling Esme.

"Hello darling," greeted Esme, giving Edward a warm hug and kiss. Turning to Bella, Esme smiled widely. "Bella! How are you dear? I'm so glad you could come today," she said, as she kissed Bella's cheek.

"Hi Esme. Thanks for asking me," replied Bella.

"Don't be silly. Come in and get comfortable," urged Esme.

Bella turned to greet Carlisle. "Hi Carlisle."

"Hello Bella. You wouldn't believe how excited Esme was that you were coming with Edward today," he said, smiling affectionately at his wife then leaning down to kiss Bella on the cheek.

"Well I certainly wouldn't be silly enough to turn down Esme's cooking," said Bella.

"Thank you dear," said Esme, tucking her arm through Bella's and leading her up the porch steps. Edward fell back, talking with Carlisle about the previous night's emergency at the hospital.

"Bella, I can't tell you how happy I am about you and Edward," said Esme. "I always hoped that he would find someone who would make him happy. And who I liked," she added.

"Thank you Esme. I really appreciate that. And Edward makes me happy. Very happy. He's a special man."

Esme looked at her warmly, before giving her a brief hug. "Well, I think he's found a very special lady. You two just have so much in common."

Bella felt humbled at being so warmly accepted by Edward's family. Of course, she'd known Carlisle and Esme since they arrived in Forks, but only as a colleague. Now they were accepting her as Edward's girlfriend, for want of a better word. A family as close as Edward's would want the best for him and she was so grateful that they felt she was good enough for their son.

As Esme led her into the house, Bella looked around, delighting at the beautiful decor. It was light and airy, but also warm and welcoming, with fresh flowers everywhere, photos on the wall. The polished floors had colourful rugs while the open fireplace radiated a lovely warmth.

"Esme, your house is lovely," exclaimed Bella.

"Why thank you, Bella. I must admit I love this house. I had such a fun time decorating it. Come, I'll show you around. Let the boys talk shop," she said as they wandered into another room.

Esme showed Bella around, pointing out some of her favourite objects, telling her the stories behind some of the photos. One room had a beautiful grand piano in it, with comfortable lounges grouped around another fireplace. The mantelpiece was covered in photos.

"Do you play, Esme?" asked Bella as she walked over to the fireplace.

"Oh no. Edward plays the piano."

Bella looked at Esme in astonishment. "Edward plays the piano? He never told me that."

"Oh yes. He's very good. Unfortunately, due to living in smaller apartments, he hasn't been able to keep the piano with him but he knows it's here whenever he feels the need to use it. He used it a lot when he was going through treatment," said Esme quietly, remembering. "Anyway, you'll have to get him to play for you."

Esme showed her around the rest of the house then took her out to look at the backyard. "Everything's dormant at the moment, of course, but it's lovely and colourful in the spring and summer."

"It must be lovely to sit out here on a summer's evening," commented Bella as she looked around the large cleared backyard, now covered in snow and frost. It was surrounded by the edges of the forest.

"Oh yes. I love having my breakfast out here in summer, listening to the birds. You'll see it in its glory next spring," said Esme as Carlisle and Edward came out. Edward came up to Bella and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as he kissed her hair.

"Mom give you the tour?" he asked with a smile at his mother.

"Yes. It's a gorgeous house. I'm jealous," replied Bella.

They all went inside and chatted while Esme bustled around, finishing the preparations for their lunch. She insisted they eat in the large country-style kitchen, saying the dining room was too formal for a family lunch.

Bella loved watching the interaction between Edward and his parents, the bond between them plainly evident. They talked a little about the events at the hospital but didn't want Esme to feel left out of the conversation so steered the topics to more general ones. Esme regaled Bella with tales of Edward's childhood and some of the mischief he got into, usually at Alice's instigation.

"It was all Alice's fault," declared Edward. "She led me astray."

"Who's the older one?" laughed Bella.

After lunch, Carlisle excused himself and went to his study to do some paperwork. Esme said she was going to ring Alice, not too subtly leaving Edward and Bella alone.

Edward led Bella to the sitting room which had the piano in it. Bella walked over to the photos, smiling as she saw ones of Edward and Alice at various ages. One had Edward, around three, holding his baby sister, a cherubic smile on his face. Another had Edward in his baseball outfit, proudly holding a trophy. He looked around ten.

"You played baseball?" asked Bella.

"Yeah, I loved it. That was our first winner's trophy. Mom still has it somewhere."

There were others, including his high school and university graduation photos. Bella could see the progression from a cute, chubby cheeked toddler into a gangly teenager, then into a drop-dead gorgeous man.

As she looked at the photos, Edward stood behind her, his arms around her waist, holding her tight. Bella put her hands over his and he dipped his head to kiss the skin where her throat met her shoulder.

"You were a cute kid," said Bella, leaning back into him.

"Still think I'm cute?"

"Mmm, you were probably cuter then," joked Bella, earning herself a tickle around her waist.

"Stop!" she laughed, trying to pull away. "Ok, ok. I take it back. You're definitely cuter now!"

"That's better," laughed Edward, turning her to face him and giving her a quick but passionate kiss.

"Play something for me," asked Bella.

Edward took her hand and led her to the piano. Sitting her down next to him on the piano stool, Edward opened the cover and ran his fingers over the keys to see if it needed tuning.

"What do you want me to play?" he asked.

"Anything. I don't care."

Edward started playing, his fingers seemingly dancing over the keys. Bella was astounded at how good he was. He could be a concert pianist, if he hadn't gone into medicine. She watched his face as he played, could see how the music seemed to take over, his face calm and serene. The piece he played was beautiful, the music ebbing and flowing. Bella was so lost in it, that it took her a few moments to realise he'd stopped playing and was looking at her, a tender look in his eyes.

"That was beautiful, Edward," she said, her voice low with wonder. "What was that?"

"Chopin. It's one of his 'ballades', a love song."

Bella just looked at him, neither saying a word. Both knew that something had changed.

That there was no going back, for either of them.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: I can hear all the groans of frustration! I'm sorry. But your patience will be rewarded, I promise.**

**Review and let me know what you think - or to tell me off for leaving you high and dry!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks to all of you for reading and for reviewing. It means so much to me and I just love reading them.**

**Ok, this chapter does contain lemons. While I've gone for tenderness rather than smutiness (even though that's fun too!), this chapter is rated M. Just letting you know.**

**Enjoy!**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 11

It was the day of the Yule Ball and Bella's nerves were doing tap dances in her stomach. She had decided she was wearing the dress after all, and now it was way too late to change her mind. As she imagined everyone's reaction when they saw it, she was coming to regret her decision more as every minute passed. Bella hated being the centre of attention, in any way, and she felt that she couldn't be more conspicuous if she attached a flashing neon sign to her head that said 'look at me!'.

Not only would her outrageously revealing outfit get tongues wagging, the fact that she and Edward would be arriving arm in arm, proclaiming their relationship to the world at large, was guaranteed to have all eyes on her and Edward.

Despite the whispers, Bella was proud of the fact that she would be with the most handsome man there. She was also the one who would be leaving with him at the end of the night. Perhaps she would also be spending the rest of the night with him.

Surprisingly, as word spread about her and Edward's relationship, the majority of people she spoke to had been overwhelmingly supportive. A few risqué jokes at their expense had been made, but generally in fun, without malice. Staff in the maternity unit were happy that she had found someone that was worthy of her. And since Edward was already well liked, they were considered a good match.

There had been a couple of catty comments made, from two younger female staff who had wondered aloud, purposely within Bella's hearing, why the gorgeous Dr Cullen had chosen to date such a plain mouse when there were much better looking women available, namely themselves. Although Bella was determined to ignore the jibe, realising it was made out of jealousy, it had still stung. Maybe because a small part of her did wonder what someone like Edward saw in her.

Sue had noticed that Bella was quieter than usual that afternoon and had asked if there was a problem. Needing to get it off her chest, Bella had told her of the comment she overheard.

"Jessica is just a jealous bitch, Bella," said an angry Sue. "Don't you be silly enough to pay any attention to anything she says. She walks around like Miss America, trying to flash her plastic boobs around as often as possible. How she made it through nursing school is beyond me. I think they may have used large parts of her brain to implant into her boobs, hence all the hot air that escapes her rotten mouth."

Bella burst out laughing at Sue's comment, already feeling better. "Thanks Sue. I know I shouldn't pay attention but..."

"But things like that are intended to hurt, to put doubt in your mind. But I've watched Edward when he looks at you Bella. He's like a kid with his most precious toy. His eyes follow you everywhere when he thinks no-one's watching, like he's a magnet and you're the North Pole. He's with you because he really wants to be, Bella. Don't sell yourself short."

Bella was touched by Sue's words, giving her a quick hug. "I'm glad I've got you in my corner."

"Always kid. I just can't wait to see you two together on Saturday. All ready for it?"

"I think so. Alice is coming over to do my hair and makeup and 'dress' me."

During the week Charlie and Jacob had returned from their trip in high spirits. Bella had gone over after work, Edward stuck in surgery, to welcome them back. Over dinner, Jacob had told her stories of their adventures, Charlie and Billy inserting a word in here and there.

"Did you enjoy yourself, Billy?" asked Bella.

"Man, he loved it," grinned Jacob, looking at his father. "He and Charlie spent most of the time competing to see who could get the largest fish."

"I won that," Charlie piped up.

"I don't think so," laughed Billy, his eyes glinting with mirth.

"No mishaps?" asked Bella.

"Only when Quil, arms full of bait, slipped on the ice. His legs flew out from under him sending the bait flying. He landed on his back on the wet ice, covered in bait," laughed Jacob loudly. Charlie was chuckling at the memory.

"Poor Quil," giggled Bella.

Charlie and Billy went to watch the news while Jacob helped her clear up.

"Billy looks happy," she commented as she washed up.

"Yeah, it did him the world of good. It was good for me too. Spending time with him. We talked about Mom a lot. He told me part of the reason why he's not afraid to die is because he'll be with her again. I never really understood how much he misses her. I only know what I felt, not realising how badly he hurt when she died. He says if it wasn't for us kids, he probably would have given up himself. How can I begrudge his decision not to have treatment when I know this?" asked Jacob sadly.

Bella rubbed his shoulder in a gesture of compassion. Her heart ached for Billy's pain all these years, for his longing for his deceased wife. She knew she would be devastated if something happened to Edward.

Shaking off his sadness, Jacob grinned suddenly. "And guess what?"

"What?"

"I think that Charlie was struck by cupid while up in Canada."

"What?" asked Bella incredulously.

"Tobias, our guide, has his sister, Kara, living with him. She's in her early forties and she and Charlie really got on like a house on fire. I've never seen him so talkative. Ever. A lot of nights, we went to bed while they stayed up 'talking'," smirked Jacob.

"Wow," breathed Bella.

"He'll deny everything though, you know that."

"Do you think they'll stay in touch?" asked Bella, intrigued by this woman who seemed to have captured Charlie's attention.

"Don't know. I brought it up on the way back and he just gave me a dirty look, told me to shut up and kept driving. You might have a bit more luck."

"Doubt it. Although, if he gives me a hard time about Edward I can always ask him about Kara."

Jacob chuckled. "And how is lover boy?"

"Don't call him that Jake! _Edward_," she emphasised, "is fine. We've spent a fair bit of time together. I even went to lunch with his parents."

"Sounds serious then," said Jacob.

"Well, I already knew his parents anyway, seeing as Carlisle works at the hospital but it was different this time."

"Do you think Edward is 'the one'?" asked Jacob.

"I don't know. Maybe. I just know I've never felt like this about anyone."

"So when am I meeting him?"

"I don't know. I'll figure something out. I've got to introduce him to Dad first."

"All right, but don't leave it too long or I'll think you're trying to hide something."

"Of course not. You have spent the better part of the last two weeks in Canada, you know," she pointed out.

"Sure, sure."

Bella and Edward spent every spare minute that they had together though there hadn't been a repeat of their encounter the previous Saturday. The moment had passed and there really hadn't been another opportunity during the week.

After lunch at his parent's house, Edward had taken her home, both lost in their thoughts. They had left shortly after he played for her, both still shaken by the feelings that had flowed between them, the unspoken words.

He had stayed at Bella's for the rest of the evening. They had kissed and cuddled but by some unspoken agreement, they hadn't taken things further. Edward was still on call and neither wanted a repeat of the previous day.

Now that the Ball was here, Bella felt instinctively that their relationship was going to go to the next level. The undercurrent of sexual tension had been present every time they met, talked or spent time together. Bella knew that she couldn't wait any longer to be with Edward, in every way. She knew he felt the same.

The Ball started at 7pm so Alice arrived at her apartment at three in the afternoon.

"Ok, Bella. Ready for the transformation?" asked Alice as she laid out her equipment.

"Not really," grimaced Bella. "My stomach is doing somersaults at the thought of wearing that dress in public."

"Don't be so silly, Bella. You are going to blow everyone away. You won't know yourself by the time I finish with you."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Alice just giggled and ordered Bella into the shower.

Over the course of the next few hours, Alice did Bella's nails, makeup and hair. She had softly curled Bella's hair then pinned it up loosely, stray wisps of curls falling down. Alice wouldn't let Bella see herself until she was fully dressed.

Finally it was time to put on the dress. Bella put on the blue lace underwear then stepped into the dress. Alice helped her do up the zip and the strap at the back of her neck. The slight alterations made to the dress meant that it now fit her like a glove. She put on the silver shoes, careful not to topple over.

"Oh wow," breathed Alice as she looked at her handiwork. "You look...wow."

"Can I look now?" asked Bella, impatient to see how she looked.

Alice nodded so Bella went to the mirror and got her first look at herself.

_Who is that stunning woman?_ Bella looked around instinctively to see if there was someone else in the room. Slowly it dawned on her that the woman was herself. Alice had surpassed herself. Her makeup highlighted all of Bella's best features, particularly her eyes. Alice had made them look wide and luminous. Her mouth looked full and pouty, kissable.

Bella admired the way her hair gave her a classy, but sexy look. The wisps of hair softened the whole look, making it seem that a with a simple flick, her hair would fall down in waves around her face.

As Bella's eyes travelled down to her body, she had to admit that the dress did indeed look fabulous. Slowly, she turned around, cringing slightly as the naked expanse of her back became visible. Vaguely she wondered how the back of the dress stayed up, knowing that it was only the fit and clever styling that allowed it to do so. The shoes finished off the look to perfection. Bella didn't remember ever looking or feeling this beautiful.

"Alice. You are a true artist," breathed Bella. She wondered how Edward would react when he saw her.

"I only embellished what was already there, Bella," said Alice. "You look truly beautiful. That dress is perfect, I don't care what you say."

Alice looked at her watch and saw that it was nearly 6.30pm. "I think I'll go before Edward gets here. As much as I want to see his reaction when he sees you, I think you'll need your privacy. To tell the truth, I'm wondering whether you'll even get to the dance."

"Alice! Of course we will," protested Bella with a giggle.

"You make sure you do, young lady! I want people to admire my work," said Alice with mock-sternness. "Tell me all about it. When you and Edward eventually come up for air, that is." She packed up her things and left.

A few minutes later, Bella's doorbell rang, announcing Edward's arrival.

o-o-o-o-o-o

As Edward drove to pick Bella up, he was almost jumping in his seat in anticipation. He felt like he was picking up his date for the prom, except this was better. They were both adults and whatever happened tonight, happened. Edward knew what he wanted to happen. Getting that call on Saturday had nearly killed him.

He had been in somewhat of a daze since last Sunday at his parent's house. Music, for him, was a very personal experience. It was what had gotten him through his cancer treatment, through the dark times during and afterwards. It was like he left his body, his soul soaring with the ebb and flow of the melody. He had badly missed his piano while he was in New York. He really could have used it during the fiasco with Tanya.

So when Bella had asked him to play for her, he knew that it wouldn't be just a case of playing for an audience. Not with Bella. Almost without thought, his fingers had begun playing Chopin, one of his favourite composers. He had been a few bars into it when he realised that the tune was one of Chopin's love songs. The music depicted the first awkward stirrings of feelings between two people, the swelling of emotions as love grew and then the full gloriousness of being in love with another person.

As he played Edward realised that his subconscious was telling him what his conscious self was having trouble admitting. That what felt for Bella was stronger, more powerful than any other emotion he'd felt before. The music was expressing things he'd yet to say, to himself or to her.

When the music ended, he looked at Bella's face wondering if she realised what the music had been saying. Her face had been mesmerised and when she'd asked what the music was he'd told her.

They had looked into each other's eyes for a long moment and Edward had felt the seismic shift in his heart. He imagined he saw a similar awareness in her eyes.

As the week wore on, he knew, deep in his bones, that tonight would be special. That it would change his life, in one way or another.

Standing outside her door, he straightened his bow tie and checked his cufflinks before pressing the doorbell. He'd passed Alice's car heading back home and had flicked his headlights in greeting.

He heard footsteps approaching from inside and his anticipation rose to absurd levels. When the door opened though, all rational thought flew out the window.

"Dear Lord Bella," he breathed in a hushed voice. "You are an absolute vision." He shook his head slightly to make sure he wasn't dreaming this up.

Bella smiled widely in greeting. "You look pretty good yourself."

Edward reached out and took her hand, lifting it to his lips. "I'm going to be fighting males off all night." He looked at her in admiration, from the top of her hair, down over the amazingly beautiful blue dress which fitted her like a glove to her shiny silver shoes. She had a fake fur stole over her shoulders which hid the top of the dress from his eyes. A part of him, a very large part of him, wanted to forget all about the Ball and just stay here and make love to her all night long.

"Well Alice can take much of the credit."

Edward shook his head. "No. You don't need any artifice. You are perfect as you are," he told her with the utmost sincerity. "I really want to kiss you but I don't want to muss up your makeup," he said, looking at her lips longingly.

Bella felt like melting in a puddle as he spoke. He looked so amazingly handsome in black-tie that it almost hurt to look at him. He'd even managed to somewhat tame his unruly mop of bronze hair. Bella itched to reach up and muss it up again, the way she liked it. Maybe later. Definitely later.

"Shall we go?" he asked. At her nod, he held out his arm for her to place her hand on it, leading her to the car with an old-world courtesy, opening her door and placing her inside. He did the same when they arrived at the country club.

As they headed inside, various heads began turning in their direction. Bella could see heads getting together, talking behind hands. Others waved in greeting. At the entrance of the ballroom, the Hospital Board's Chairman and his wife greeted everyone as they went in.

With his hand on the small of her back, still covered by the stole, Edward guided her inside and led her to their table. Bella greeted Carlisle and Esme with a kiss then turned to greet Sue and her husband Bill. Sue winked at Bella making her smile as she remembered their conversation about Bill.

Bella was still wearing the stole and she took a deep breath as she went to take it off. Edward chivalrously helped her take it off and Bella heard his sharp hiss as he saw the dress properly for the first time.

"Oh wow, Bella. What a glorious dress! You look amazing!" cried Esme. "Turn around."

Bella did as Esme asked and did a slow pirouette, secretly thrilled at the admiration she was garnering.

"Oh Bella. I love that dress. Oh if only I was twenty years younger and many, many pounds lighter," laughed Sue.

Bella turned to look at Edward and was pleased by the stunned look on his face. His eyes kept running up and down her bare back then to the front, as if trying to work out how it stayed on.

He pulled out her chair for her, and not-so-accidently ran a finger up her spine. Bella shivered in delight then saw the faint smile on his face.

Leaning toward him, she asked, "Do you like still like it?"

"I'll tell you later," he said huskily. "And you're not leaving my sight tonight. I can see males salivating all over the room."

"Don't be silly. I've known most of them forever," protested Bella.

"Well they've obviously never seen you like this, because I feel like running around and shutting their dropped jaws," scowled Edward. Bella couldn't help giggling at his expression.

After their meal and a Christmas speech by the Chairman, the band began playing.

"May I have this dance, my lady?" asked Edward very gallantly, holding out his hand.

Bella placed her hand in his before replying. "Why, thank you, kind sir."

Edward grinned as he helped her to her feet. Bella trembled slightly as she felt his hand on the bare skin of her back as he guided her to the dance floor. Finding a spot near the centre of the dance floor, Edward turned and took her in his arms, his hands splayed across her skin. Bella felt like her skin was burning where he touched it. She placed her arms around his shoulders as they swayed to the music.

Edward gazed down into her brown eyes, lost in their depths. His hands imperceptibly caressed the skin of her back as his arms tightened, bringing her closer. Their faces were so close, a slight movement would have brought their mouths together. Edward was sorely tempted.

"Did I tell you that I both love and hate your dress?" he murmured.

"What do you mean?" asked Bella, confused. Being pressed up so close to Edward's body was scrambling her thought processes.

"It's the sexiest thing I've ever seen. _You're_ the sexiest thing I've ever seen. Unfortunately most of the red blooded males in here think the same thing."

"Well most of the females in here are drooling into their drinks at the sight of you in your tuxedo," she countered with a smile.

"I only have eyes for you," he whispered, leaning down so their cheeks touched.

Bella closed her eyes, a small sigh leaving her as her arms tightened. They barely moved to the music, both lost in the feel of each other. Bella forgot about everyone around her.

"Do you know what you do to me?" Edward whispered in her ear, making her tremble. "Do you know that I dream about you at night? That I want you beyond reason?"

Bella gave the softest moan at his words, audible only to Edward who tightened his arms so that Bella could feel exactly what she was doing to him. His fingers were edging under the material of her dress.

"This dress is driving me crazy, do you know that? Is that why you got it?"

Bella nodded. "Yes. I want to make you crazy with wanting me," she murmured into his neck.

"It's working. God, it's working," he groaned softly. Only the strictest self-control and the length of his tuxedo jacket kept the room from knowing exactly how crazy Bella's dress was making him. It wasn't enough to stop his hands from wandering over the bare expanse of warm, soft skin.

They stayed like this until the band began playing more up tempo music. Reluctantly disentangling himself, Edward led her back to the table, where Sue's knowing smile made Bella blush.

"I'll get us something to drink," said Edward, squeezing her hand.

Bella's pulse had settled down a little although she still felt on edge with wanting Edward. Chatting lightly with Sue, her eyes kept straying to Edward as he was caught up in conversation with another doctor.

"Girl, you've got it bad," said Sue with a small smirk.

"Huh?" asked Bella, brought back to the present.

Sue laughed. "You and Edward. Boy, I could feel the heat from here. You do make a gorgeous couple."

Bella blushed. "Was it that obvious?"

"Yep. No-one is in any doubt that you and Edward are a couple now." Leaning toward Bella, Sue grinned wickedly. "You should have seen Jessica's face when you revealed your dress. I thought she was going to puke with jealousy. She almost literally turned green."

Bella burst out laughing. "Good. Serves her right."

"You do look stunning tonight Bella. No wonder Edward can't keep his eyes, and hands, off you." Sue sighed dramatically. "I remember what that was like, many moons ago."

Edward finally returned and handed her a glass of champagne. Taking her hand, proclaiming her as his, they walked around the room, chatting with other staff. Bella lost count of the number of women who exclaimed over her dress, asking her to twirl around. She even stopped being embarrassed about it.

Towards the end of the evening, the band returned to playing slow, romantic music and Bella fell eagerly back into Edward's arms.

This time, neither said a word. They didn't need to. Every touch, every word that night had been leading them to the night's ultimate conclusion. The night was perfect, the time was right.

"Let's go," murmured Edward. He had to get Bella alone or he'd burst into flames here on the dance floor. Every time he looked at her, at her back, he had to consciously subdue his body. It was getting worse as the night wore on. He couldn't wait anymore.

"Ok," agreed Bella, desperate to be alone with Edward.

They said their goodbyes, trying not to make it obvious that they were anxious to be alone.

Once in the car, Edward took her chin in his hand and leaned down to kiss her, as he'd been wanting to do all night. He didn't care if he mussed up her lipstick now, he just needed to taste her.

"Your place or mine?" he asked huskily.

"Yours. It's closer," replied Bella, earning herself another kiss.

Keeping her hand enclosed in his the whole way, Edward drove back to his place as fast as legally possible. Their anticipation of the coming night made the trip seem interminable but finally, Edward pulled into his drive. He raced around the car and helped her out, leading her quickly to the door, wanting her out of the cold.

He'd left the central heating on so the house was warm as they entered. Bella walked into the lounge as Edward turned on the side table lamp, bathing the room in a soft, intimate light.

Bella's nerves started making their presence felt as the moment she'd been waiting for was finally here. They were finally going to make love. As her insecurities started coming to the surface she felt him standing behind her.

Edward stood behind Bella and placed his hands on her bare shoulders, his thumbs slowly caressing her velvety skin. Leaning down, he placed his lips on the soft skin of her throat, just under her ear. Slowly, so slowly, he feathered kisses from her throat down over her shoulder, marvelling at the texture of her perfect skin.

Bella closed her eyes as he kissed along one shoulder before moving across to do the same to the other. Her pulse increased and her breathing got more shallow as his hands caressed her stomach, over the satin material.

"Oh Bella. Am I dreaming?" he breathed on the nape of her neck as Bella dropped her head forward, allowing him access.

Bella could only gasp softly when his hands moved up to cup her breasts, heavy and aching for him. He massaged them gently, her nipples pushing against the material. One hand then moved down her hip, holding her steady as he pressed himself against her. She felt his hardness pressing into her and licked her lips in anticipation.

"You are beautiful beyond words. I've never wanted anything as much as I want you," he murmured softly as he sucked her earlobe.

"Oh Edward. You make me feel beautiful. I want to be perfect for you," she breathed shakily.

"You are. You are perfection. In every way." As he spoke, he brought his hand up to the fastening behind her neck. He flicked it open, the single strap down her back hanging down. Undone, the front of her dress slithered down, leaving Bella naked from the waist up. Only the zipper at her hip held the dress on.

Turning her slowly, Edward sucked in his breath as he saw her body. Her full breasts, with their rigid nipples were just begging for his mouth.

"Dear God, Bella," he groaned before bending down and taking one peak into his mouth. He could hear her heart pounding in her chest as it rose and fell with her shallow breaths. His hand reached for the other one, squeezing and flicking her nipple with his thumb.

"Edward!" cried Bella, her head falling back as he suckled on her, one hand against her rear holding her tightly against his erection. Her hands speared into his hair, needing support to keep from falling in a heap. Her legs were incredibly unsteady.

When she tried to remove her shoes, Edward lifted his head, his green eyes almost black with desire. Their eyes locked on each other, Edward reached over and pulled down the zipper of her dress. The material slithered down her body to lie in a puddle at her feet.

Edward's eyes widened in surprise as he saw her in only her blue lace panties. He closed his eyes briefly, as if to steady himself then reached down and picked her up, cradling her in his arms.

"We need a bed. Now," he mumbled urgently as their mouths crashed together. They poured all the passion into that kiss, not stopping until Edward entered his bedroom.

"You're overdressed," murmured Bella as he set her down on her feet. Her hands reached up and began pulling at his clothes. Together they undressed him, until he stood before her in only his boxer briefs.

Bella literally felt like swooning as she admired the perfection that was Edward's body. Needing to see all of him, she reached over and began pulling on his briefs.

Edward's hands covered hers, stilling them. "Bella. Are you absolutely sure about this?"

Bella looked into his eyes and smiled. "Edward, I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

He gave her the crooked grin that she loved and allowed her to strip him of his last item of clothing. As he was revealed to her in all his naked glory, Bella wondered what she had done in a past life to deserve him.

She couldn't help herself, she had to touch him. Reaching out, she touched his rigid manhood, marvelling at its velvety hardness.

"Bella!" gasped Edward as he stilled her hand. "Dear God, if you do that I'll disgrace myself. I want you too much."

Bella removed her hand with a smile. Edward took a few deep breaths to get himself back in control.

"You are a minx, lady. I want to make this perfect for you and you go and do that," he chuckled.

He drew her back into his arms, the electricity between them as their bodies touched, stunning them both. While he ravaged her mouth, Edward reached up and began pulling out hair pins and dropping them on the floor. Bella shook her head as her hair fell down over her shoulders.

Edward groaned as her hair brushed his skin, setting his nerve endings alight. Needing to have her naked, he pushed down her underwear, Bella stepping out of it.

Edward's heart was thudding in his chest as he looked at her. His dreams hadn't done her justice. In wonder, his ran his hand from her cheek, over her full, red lips and lower. He traced her collarbones then lightly massaged her breasts. Down his hand moved, caressing the skin of her torso and belly until he reached the junction of her legs.

Bella moved, giving him access. His eyes boring into hers, he placed his hand between her legs, her heat nearly burning him. As he caressed her, teased her, Bella's mouth fell open. When he placed a couple of fingers inside her, her head fell onto his chest, her breathing shallow.

"You're so ready for me, my darling," he crooned into her hair.

"Yes. I'm burning up for you."

Edward took her mouth again, running his tongue over her lips before sucking her tongue into his mouth, his fingers still moving against her sex. He swallowed her soft moans into his mouth. Her breathing got shallower and more erratic and she began bucking against his hand.

Bella dug her nails into Edward's shoulders as he pleasured her, her moans getting louder.

"That's it, my love. That's it. Come for me," he urged, his fingers moving faster inside her.

Suddenly, she cried out in pleasure. "Edward!" she groaned as her head dropped to his shoulder, her shaky legs threatening to give way under her as she climaxed.

Edward slowly brought her back to earth and held her tight against him, his straining erection pressed against her stomach.

Before Bella could utter a word, Edward picked her up and laid her gently on his bed, following so he lay alongside her.

Leaning up on one elbow, Edward reached out and cupped her face, looking intently into her eyes. He gave her a soft, sweet kiss, gently nibbling on her lower lip. Bella put her hand on his hip, marvelling at the planes and contours of his body.

"You are the most beautiful person I've ever known Bella," whispered Edward. "I don't know if it's too soon but I have to tell you. Bella, I'm in love with you. I think I've known it almost since the beginning but my head only caught up with my heart last Sunday."

Bella looked into his green eyes, his love for her plainly evident. Her heart swelled with what she now knew was love. It had been growing steadily every day.

"I love you too, Edward," admitted Bella. "So much."

Edward's face lit up with joy at her words. "Oh my love," he sighed as he crushed her to him, kissing her with all the love and joy he felt. Bella's arms tightened around him, giving him her love.

The passion of before was reignited, and Edward began caressing her body, sweeping over her skin from her shoulder, down over her back and waist until he cupped her bottom, pressing himself to her.

Bella's heart was racing with love and excitement, her whispered sighs of passion inflaming Edward even further. Dragging his lips from hers, he kissed her throat before following the path of his hand. He lingered over her breasts, already addicted to them before kissing his way down her torso then over her hips, whispering endearments against her skin.

He gently pushed her legs apart and Bella cried out when he put his mouth against her and began pleasuring her. With his tongue and fingers, he caressed her as Bella moaned in delight.

"_Edward!" _she cried as, her back arching in pleasure and clutching Edward's hair in her fingers, her orgasm surged through her.

Lost in a haze of sensation, she didn't notice as Edward opened a foil packet and sheathed himself. Although he wasn't worried about an unplanned pregnancy, he didn't want his beloved Bella to worry about any possible health risks. Plus, he was so wound up, the barrier would hopefully lessen the sensations, allowing her to reach her climax again before he reached his own.

Edward moved up her body and positioned himself at her entrance, his lips taking hers once again. "Ready, my love?" he asked tensely.

Bella opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Oh yes Edward. Please."

"God, I love you," he moaned as he slowly pushed into her.

"Ohh!" moaned Bella as he filled her with his body, her breathing ragged.

When he was completely buried inside her, he stopped, allowing her body to adjust to his. He had to grit his teeth to stop himself from coming there and then, she felt so good around him. "Are you ok?" he ground out, resisting the urge to move.

Bella buried her fingers in his hair as her legs wound around his waist, pulling him in even deeper. "Never been better," she sighed. "You feel wonderful. I love you."

"I love you so much, Bella. So much."

"Make love to me Edward," she pleaded.

Unable to resist any longer, Edward began moving, slowly at first then picking up speed, much to both their delight.

They found their rhythm, rocking together, their moans and sighs the only sounds in the room.

Bella pulled him as close as she could, tightening her legs around his waist. Her nails dug into his back as she felt herself coil tighter and tighter with every movement he made.

Edward thrust into her urgently, his face buried against her throat. She felt like heaven_._ Her soft moans and gasps were driving him crazy. He could feel his loins tighten as he got closer to his climax.

"Darling, I'm so close," he cried against her skin.

"Yes, oh yes," she replied breathlessly, her head thrown back. "Oh god, Edward!" she cried, moving in sync with him.

Edward lifted himself onto his elbows so he could watch her face. Her skin was flushed, her lips red and swollen from his kisses, her hair splayed out against his pillow. He hadn't thought she could be any more beautiful than she already was, but he was wrong. He would carry this picture of Bella, deep in the throes of passion, deep in his heart forever.

Suddenly, Bella cried out, her nails digging into his skin, the pleasure and pain intense. "_Oh Edward! Oh god...!_" Her hips bucked as her climax crashed over her, a low keening noise coming from her mouth.

Feeling her contract around him, Edward couldn't hold on any longer. He cried out as he thrust deeply, climaxing violently. "_I love you...love you...love you...love._.." he groaned as he continued moving inside her, gradually slowing down as they came down from their mutual highs.

With a deep sigh, Edward collapsed on to her, his face buried in her throat, his breathing coming in short gasps as he sought to regain control. He felt Bella's arms tighten around him as she pressed her face against his. He could hear her heart beating frantically, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Neither said a word for ages. They were trying to process the enormity of the power of their lovemaking. They were both slightly stunned at the sheer intensity and pleasure of it.

As Bella gradually came back to earth, she was glad that they had waited to make love until the time was right. Tonight had been wonderful, perfect. Better than she had dreamed. The man she knew she loved had given her pleasure unlike anything she'd ever experienced. He'd taken such care of her. Everything he'd done had spoken of his feelings for her. She hugged him tighter.

Fearing that he was too heavy, Edward rolled over, pulling her with him so that she lay nestled against him. He was blissfully content, totally relaxed. His mind was full of Bella. Bella, his beloved. He never imagined he'd find someone like her, someone so perfectly suited to him. He'd literally found ecstasy in her arms.

He was idly stroking her back, lost in his thoughts when she spoke. "Edward?"

"Yes, love?" he replied, kissing the top of her head.

"Thank you."

"I should be thanking you, my darling. You drove me insane with that dress. How I didn't take you on the table at the ball, I'll never know."

Bella giggled. "No, I meant thank you for making it perfect. For not rushing things."

Edward looked into her eyes before gently kissing her soft lips. "Tonight was the right time, for both of us. I love you, Bella. I still can't believe I found you."

"Oh Edward, I love you so much. You're simply wonderful."

Her words deserved a reward, which Edward was all too willing to give. His loving kiss quickly turned passionate, and knowing they had all night to indulge in each other, Edward proceeded to show Bella exactly how much she meant to him.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: Hope this makes up for my previous teasing! Like I said before, I was going for tenderness in their lovemaking as well as making it hot. Especially now that the "L" word is out there. **

**Anyway, let me know what you thought. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks so much for your reviews to the last chapter. I'm glad most of you enjoyed Bella and Edward's 'first time'. I'm sorry I've taken longer than normal to post this chapter - between school holidays, coping with a stressed out daughter studying for finals exams, graduation and formals ('Prom' to many of you) it's been a bit crazy around here. Anyway, enjoy 'the morning after'.**

**PS: Thanks for helping me crack the 300 review mark. **

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 12

Bella slowly woke from the mists of sleep, feeling deliciously warm and comfortable. There was heavy warmth surrounding her and it took Bella a few moments for the realisation of where she was to sink in.

She was lying in Edward's bed, in his arms, after having spent a large portion of the night making love with him. Bella grinned delightedly as the memories of the incredible way he'd made her feel came back. No wonder she felt so mellow and languid.

Edward was lying behind her, his body pressed against her back. One arm was under her neck like a pillow while the other was across her waist, his hand on her breast. Bella could hear and feel his deep, even breaths against her hair. Even in sleep, he needed her close.

Turning her head, she looked at his bedside clock and saw that it was after ten in the morning. They hadn't fallen asleep until the early hours so she wasn't surprised that they had slept in. It wasn't like they had to be anywhere. There was nowhere Bella would rather be anyway.

The call of nature suddenly made its presence felt. Carefully, so as not to wake him, Bella slid out from under his arm and got out of bed. As she stood there naked Bella suddenly felt self conscious. It was one thing to be naked whilst lost in the delights of lovemaking but Bella wasn't brave enough or confident enough to walk around Edward's house without a stitch on.

Looking down, she spotted Edward's shirt on the floor where he'd tossed it the night before. She picked it up and put it on, breathing in his delicious scent as she rolled the sleeves up. The shirt fell to mid-thigh which Bella was thankful for. She was about to put her underwear on but decided against it. The hidden temptress in Bella was starting to make herself known.

Bella turned and looked down at the sleeping Edward and smiled tenderly. His hair was a riotous mess, made that way by the number of times she'd run her hands through it during the night. He had eyelashes many women would kill for, now lying against the skin under his eyes. His lips were softly parted, his full lower lip tempting Bella to run her tongue along it, to feel its smoothness. Bella's eyes wandered down over his body, the bedclothes only coming up to his waist. She couldn't help licking her lips as her eyes took in his taut, toned torso. His arms were beautifully muscular as was his chest. She could see the delineated muscles in his stomach, muscles she had touched and tasted.

She could feel her pulse get faster as she looked at him. Now that she knew what kind of lover Edward was, she only had to look at him to want him again. She couldn't imagine anyone being as gentle, tender and loving as Edward had been.

_And he loves me_, thought Bella in wonder. Edward Cullen, who could have any woman he wanted, loved Bella Swan. Bella felt tears prick her eyes as the knowledge sunk in. She couldn't believe how much she loved Edward back. He seemed to fill every corner of her heart, her whole being. She'd never known what being 'in love' was until now. This feeling that her soul would be ripped away if Edward didn't love her anymore, that she wouldn't ever fill the emptiness. That she wanted his happiness more than her own. Knowing that he felt the same humbled her.

Her body let her know once again that she needed to attend to its needs so she tore her eyes from her beloved Edward and headed to his ensuite bathroom. Once she felt comfortable again, Bella looked at herself in the mirror and gave a slight grimace. The makeup from the previous night was smudged and Bella needed to wash it off. She decided to have a quick shower before Edward woke. When she took off his shirt she saw the faint marks on her body left by Edward's eager hands and mouth. There was one mark on her shoulder, left there when Edward had pressed down with his teeth during the throes of his climax. Bella touched it with a faint smile, knowing she'd left her mark on him as well. There were also a couple of faint bruises on her thighs, proof of Edward's passionate nature.

Stepping into the steaming hot water, Bella let the water flow over her. She could feel a slight twinge of discomfort between her legs, not surprising really. Scrubbing her face clean, she used Edward's shampoo to wash her hair then closed her eyes as she thought about the night's events with a smile on her face.

The sound of water running woke Edward up. Not used to having anyone in his house, the sound startled him for a moment. Once he realised it was Bella, Edward lay back and stretched lazily, grinning like the cat that got the cream.

He couldn't remember ever feeling this happy before. Or so turned on. He thought about a wet, naked Bella in his shower and his body instantly responded. How he loved that woman! Needing to be with her, he got out of bed and went into the ensuite.

Shutting the door quietly behind him, he watched Bella soaping herself, her back to him, her body partly obscured by the fogged up glass. When she bent at the waist to scrub her legs, Edward groaned softly. He decided it was time to fulfil one of his 'Bella' fantasies.

Lost in her thoughts, Bella was entirely unaware she was no longer alone until she felt a draft of air. Turning, she gave a little yelp as Edward's arms encircled her waist and pulled her back into his body.

"Hey beautiful," he crooned. "Need some help?"

Bella moaned as his hands began roaming over her slick body and pressed her back against his straining erection. "I've already washed myself," she replied breathlessly.

"That's a shame," he murmured into her shoulder, licking away drops of water. "I could do with some help though."

"Oh really? Well, as a nurse, how could I possibly deny you my assistance?" she teased, pulling out of his arms.

"You couldn't. You're too dedicated," grinned Edward. "I'm in great discomfort, Nurse Swan."

"Let me see what I can do," breathed Bella, pouring some soap onto her hands. With a seductive smile, Bella began massaging Edward's chest, the soapy bubbles allowing her to slide her hands easily over his skin. She caressed him as she pretended to soap him, her hands moving lower and lower.

Feeling daring, Bella bent down and soaped Edward's legs before giving up all pretence at washing him and taking his manhood in her hand.

Edward gasped as she grasped him and when she took him in her mouth, his head fell back against the glass as he groaned loudly.

"Bella!" he cried as his hands tangled themselves in her wet tendrils of hair.

Bella began moving, pleasuring him with her mouth and hands, making little moaning noises of her own which drove Edward crazy. The large showerhead ensured they were both under the warm water, which added to the atmosphere.

It didn't take long before Edward could feel himself ready to explode.

"Bella. Stop. I want to be inside you," he begged breathlessly.

Bella let him go as Edward pulled her up to her feet. Adjusting the shower head, he gently pushed Bella back against the wet tiles. Taking her mouth with his, they devoured each other as he ground into her, his fingers feeling her moist readiness.

Their mouths still locked together, Edward lifted her up as Bella wound her arms and legs around him. Leaning her back against the wall and his hands under her thighs, Edward positioned himself at her entrance.

"Ready, my love?" he asked.

Bella nodded, moaning loudly as he slowly entered her. When he was buried deeply in her body, Edward stopped and looked deeply into Bella's hooded brown eyes.

"I love you, Bella."

"I love you too," she gasped, lost in the exquisite sensation of being filled by Edward. This was definitely heaven on earth. "Please Edward. More."

In response to her pleading, Edward began moving, building a steady rhythm that had both their pulses racing.

"Ohh!" moaned Bella as she felt her excitement building rapidly. "Oh God, Edward. You feel so good!"

"Bella, Bella, Bella," grunted Edward in response, in time with his thrusts.

The excitement of making love in the shower, the warm water falling on their bodies and their love and lust for each other meant that it wasn't long before they reached their peaks.

"_Ooohhhh!"_ cried Bella, her legs gripping his waist as she came, her heart thundering in her chest.

"Oh, baby," he cried in response. The sound of her coming apart in his arms was enough to send him over the edge. _"Bella!"_ he ground out as he climaxed in her arms, bucking frantically into her.

It took several minutes before either of them spoke, neither having any breath left to say anything.

Edward smiled tenderly at Bella as he slowly pulled out of her and set her on her feet before kissing her softly, pouring all his love and affection into the kiss.

When they broke apart, Edward rested his forehead against hers, the water still falling around them.

"Good morning," he smiled.

Bella grinned back. "A _very_ good morning."

With a quick kiss, Edward turned off the water and followed Bella out of the shower. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist before getting another one to dry Bella off.

"I can dry myself Edward," protested Bella lightly as he began patting her dry.

"I know you can but I want to do it," replied Edward.

Bella nodded and stood still while he dried her body, feeling cherished like never before. When she was dry, he got another towel and began towel-drying her hair.

"Here, let me," she said, taking the towel from him and wrapping her hair in it. Despite his protests, she put his shirt back on.

"Mmm, that shirt has never looked that good on me," he stated, admiring her legs beneath the shirt.

"Oh, I think I'd have to disagree. You looked positively delicious in it last night," said Bella.

Taking hold of her around the waist, Edward pulled her close. "And you look absolutely delicious in it now." He gave her a quick, passionate kiss before leading her back into the bedroom.

Bella looked at him, wrapped in only the towel and was ready to jump his bones again. Her fingers literally itched to roam all over his broad back. She was picturing running her hands over his slim waist before unwrapping the towel and caressing his taut behind, like she'd done during the night. Lord, that man could turn her on without even trying.

Edward turned then and saw her staring at him. He grinned sexily. "See something you like?"

"Oh yeah," she replied.

Edward was in two minds as to whether to throw her back on the bed or feed her some breakfast. Fortunately, his body made up his mind for him. It needed some time to recover before making love to Bella again, however willing his mind was. After all, he wasn't a teenager any more.

"How about I get us some breakfast?" he suggested, grabbing a pair of trousers.

"If that's all you're offering, it'll have to do, I suppose," she replied with a little pout. Where had this sex-crazed Bella come from? She wondered dazedly.

"For now, my darling, for now," he said with a laugh. "I have to keep up my strength you know."

"I suppose," she teased. "Um, can I borrow a comb and a toothbrush?"

"Of course. There's a couple of unopened brushes in the bathroom cabinet. Help yourself. Use whatever you need. I'll start breakfast."

Still wearing only his shirt, Bella brushed her teeth and hair, leaving the damp mass falling down her back.

As she walked to the kitchen the delicious smells of bacon, eggs and toast cooking assailed her senses, making her stomach rumble. She hadn't realised she was hungry but now her mouth was literally watering.

Wearing a pair of khaki pants and white t-shirt, Edward was busily cooking. Bella leaned against the doorjamb for a few moments just watching him.

Bella thought he was breathtakingly beautiful. And the outside package was just enhanced by what was inside. She still couldn't believe her luck.

He was buttering some toast when Bella walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. "Mmm, smells good," she murmured, breathing him in.

"Take a seat, it's just about ready," he said, giving her a quick peck on the lips before getting a couple of plates. "Here, take the toast." Bella took the plate of toast to the table which he'd already laid with glasses and cutlery. He placed the two plates down before sitting down.

With a thank you, Bella began eating, enjoying his fluffy eggs and juicy bacon. Edward finished before her and brought a pot of coffee to the table. He poured coffee into both their cups and watched her finishing her breakfast.

Wiping her mouth, Bella sat back. "I didn't realise I was so hungry. You do a great bacon and eggs, Edward."

"One of my few culinary talents, I'm afraid. I usually just have toast in the morning but I do enjoy my bacon and eggs when I'm not working. Would like some more?"

"Oh no! Thanks, but I'm full," said Bella, leaning back in her seat and taking a sip of her coffee. They sat in companionable silence while they drank their coffees, just looking into each other's eyes.

When they finished, Bella helped Edward clear up, despite his protests. She wiped while he washed and soon they went into the lounge. Bella noticed her dress lying in puddle on the floor where it had fallen last night. She picked it up and laid it over an armchair. Edward walked over and wrapped his arms around her kissing the skin of her shoulder before moving back to the lounge, pulling Bella down to sit on his lap, his arms wrapped around her waist.

"You know I'll never be able to wear this shirt again," he said, running his fingers idly up and down her leg.

"Why not?" she asked, finding it hard to concentrate on anything other than his hand on her leg.

"Because you look so damn good in it, it would be a sacrilege."

Bella wrapped her arms around his neck and they kissed for a long time, enjoying the closeness. After several minutes, they broke apart and Bella laid her head on his shoulder, drinking in his warmth. Edward reached up and stroked her hair, running his fingers through the damp tendrils, air drying them.

He didn't know if Bella had noticed, but something about their lovemaking in the shower was bothering him.

"Bella, my love?"

"Yes?"

"Um...ah...I..." Damn, why did he feel so awkward? They had made love numerous times and it's something he should have brought up before they had sex for the first time, but it just seemed embarrassing somehow.

"What, darling? Tell me," she urged.

"Ok. I don't know if you noticed in the shower but I was so caught up in our lovemaking that I completely forgot about using a condom."

"Oh," said Bella. She probably wouldn't have noticed if a train had gone through the room at that particular moment.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly."

Bella bit her lip. "Are you worried about pregnancy? I noticed last night that you used a condom every time."

Edward hugged her close and kissed her temple. "No, love. It's not that. It's just that I didn't want you worrying about your health. We really should have talked about it before and I don't know why we didn't. I want you to know that I haven't been with anyone for nearly two years now. I promise you that I haven't got anything that could risk your health. I'll even get it in writing from a doctor if you want. God, this is so awkward."

Bella smiled and cupped his cheek. "Thank you for telling me that. And thank you for caring so much about me that you thought about it. To tell the truth, I only gave it a fleeting thought. Probably because it's been so long for me that STD's weren't at the topmost of my thinking when I thought about making love with you. And I don't need to see anything. I know, as a doctor, that you would be regularly tested for AIDS and other diseases. The same with me. It's a perk, I suppose, of working in the medical profession. I thought that pregnancy was the reason you used the condom."

Edward shook his head. "No. I'm still infertile. Your chances of getting pregnant are practically non-existent."

"Practically? When was the last time you were tested?"

"Around four years ago," he admitted. "There was nothing then. Six years after treatment and no improvement so I'm pretty sure that nothing has changed since then."

Bella could see the sadness in his eyes as he said it. Her heart ached for him. It was obviously painful for him that he couldn't father a child naturally. She hugged him tightly, giving him comfort as best as she could. He rested his head on hers, not saying anything for a while.

Eventually Bella spoke. "So, do we do away with them?"

"That's up to you, my love. If you feel better with me using condoms, I'll will. For myself, I just want you to be happy."

"Well, since we're both clean and pregnancy isn't an issue, let's not bother with them. I like the thought of nothing coming between us."

Edward groaned at the thought and could feel his body getting excited again, sure Bella had noticed. His hand ran up her leg and under the hem of his shirt and he breathed in sharply when he realised that she had no underwear on.

"Dear lord, Bella. What are you doing to me?" he groaned as he took her lips with his.

They kissed urgently, both instantly turned on by the other. With muttered groans and soft sighs, they got lost in each other and didn't bother going back to the bedroom. They spent the next couple of hours pleasurably occupied right there on the lounge.

o-o-o-o-o-o

It was the afternoon before they surfaced again. Edward had carried Bella back to bed where they had snuggled together for a while before falling asleep again.

Bella sat up in Edward's bed, the sheet pulled up over her breasts as she watched Edward get dressed again, enjoying the sight immensely.

"I've just realised I've got nothing to wear home," grimaced Bella. "I can't wear my dress. Anyone who sees me will know exactly what I've been up to."

Edward grinned. "Do you care?"

"Well, yes. I do have a reputation to protect. It's one thing to know that I'm seeing you, it's quite another to flaunt the fact that I've probably been in your bed since last night when I turn up in the same clothes I had on last night," said Bella crossly.

Edward moved to sit on the bed and took her hand. "I'm sorry Bella. Of course you care about your reputation. I didn't mean to make light of it. It's just that I'm so happy that I can't seem to think badly of anything at the moment."

"I know, it's ok," said Bella, kissing his cheek. "I still have a problem though. I certainly can't wear your shirt home."

"I can go to your place and bring you back some clothes, if you like. Or I can lend you something. I'm sure I've got something that you can adjust, just until I drive you home."

Bella agreed to borrow some clothes and waited in bed while Edward searched his cupboards for the smallest clothing he owned that Bella could wear. He located an old pair of sweat pants, teaming it with his college sweatshirt.

"The pants can be pulled in at the waist so they don't fall off," he said, holding them up.

Bella thanked him and took the clothes. Holding them to her, she located her discarded underwear and scuttled to the bathroom.

She could hear Edward chuckle as she closed the door. "You've been naked with me for almost the last eighteen hours, Bella. What are you trying to hide that I haven't already seen?"

Bella opened the door and stuck her head out. "I'm not used to walking around naked," she admitted. "Especially with someone else around."

Edward leaned against the wall, near the bathroom door. "Bella, you are exquisite. I love all of you, even the dimple on your cute behind. Don't be self-conscious around me."

How did he make her feel all gooey and mushy with just a few words? "I'll try Edward. Give me time."

"Of course. I hope to give you many, many more opportunities to walk around naked with me around," he grinned saucily.

Bella giggled and closed the door, yelling out "Pervert!" She heard Edward burst out laughing and proceeded to get dressed with a smile on her face.

She managed to tighten the cords on the pants enough so that they didn't fall off. The sweatshirt swamped her but at least she could roll the sleeves up as well as the hems. She went back outside realising she'd have to wear her high heels home. There was no way she could borrow his shoes!

Edward was clearing up the bedroom and chuckled when he saw her. "You look way too cute in my clothes to let you out of this house."

"Cute? Ugh! I look like some sort of refugee," she protested, hiking up the collar which was falling over her shoulder.

"No, you look adorable. Come here," he said, holding his arms out.

Bella didn't need a second invitation as she launched herself into his arms. They kissed playfully for a long time. Edward lifted his head. "Mmm, you taste much too good, my little orphan Annie."

"Orphan Annie!" she cried with mock outrage. "I'll show you Orphan Annie," she said and started tickling him under his arms, an area he was sensitive as she found out the night before.

"Two can play at that game. You don't know what you've started, my girl," growled Edward, his hands reaching for her waist at the same time he was trying to avoid her hands. With his longer reach, Edward had a distinct advantage and it wasn't long before Bella was laughing and squealing at the same time as he tickled her waist.

Bella managed to get her hand under his top and was doing her best to get the upper hand when she felt herself being lifted and dropped onto the bed by a laughing Edward. When he started blowing raspberries on her waist, Bella began crying for mercy, in between her gasps of laughter.

"Stop! I surrender!" she gasped out, her legs flailing as she tried to get away.

"So you admit I win this tickle fight?" grinned Edward evilly.

"Yes, yes!"

Edward sat up, holding out his hand to help her up. Both of them had to rearrange their clothing, still chuckling. Edward put his arm around her shoulder and held her close, kissing her on her temple.

"Ready to go? We can go and get an early dinner after you've changed," he suggested.

"Sounds good. I'll look the real fashion plate dressed in your clothes with my high heeled shoes. Poor Alice would have a heart attack if she saw me."

"Are you kidding? She'd know exactly why you're wearing my clothes and would be dancing a jig," said Edward.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Hope most of the good folk of Forks are indoors out of the cold this afternoon, though."

Edward drove Bella back to her apartment, where to her vast relief, there was no-one around to see her arrive home in her strange attire.

"Help yourself to anything you'd like while I get changed," said Bella as they entered her apartment.

Taking her by the waist, Edward kissed the bare skin of Bella's shoulder. "What if what I'd like is you?" he murmured against her skin.

"Sounds very tempting but I have to admit I'm starving," replied Bella turning to kiss him.

"Well I can't have my lady love hungry, can I? Go get changed and we'll go out," he urged, pushing her gently towards her bedroom. "Later though, I'm going to finish what we started in there the other day before we were rudely interrupted."

"Promise?" smiled Bella seductively.

"Cross my heart."

They headed into the centre of town to have dinner. Bella was feeling herself again in her familiar jeans. She was wearing her most provocative underwear, though she didn't tell Edward. Let him find out for himself later.

After all the exercise she'd had, Bella was hankering for pizza so they went back to the pizza place where they'd shared their first meal together. This time, Edward insisted she sit next to him in the booth. They gave their order to the waitress then Edward sat back and pulled Bella close.

"I don't think I've ever been this happy, my love," said Edward.

"Me neither. I feel like I'm going to wake up and all this will have been a dream."

He couldn't help himself, he gave her a soft, lingering kiss. "I'm so in love with you, Bella."

Bella's heart was racing, as it always did when he touched her. "I'm crazy in love with you Edward. I didn't know anything could feel this strong."

"When did you fall in love with me?" he asked.

"Probably when I crashed into you in the Emergency department," she teased. "I don't know. I was instantly attracted to you. Beyond all reason. Then I got to know you and it just grew. I knew for sure last week, when you played for me. What about you?"

"Like you, I wanted you right away. The night of Alice's dinner party, I was so turned on by you I was seriously considering sneaking away into the bathroom for some relief."

"Really?" asked a wide-eyed Bella.

"Oh yeah. I don't remember spending such an uncomfortable night. Just as I'd get myself under control, you would laugh or move or flick your hair and I'd be back where I started. It took an enormous amount of will-power not to take you against your car."

Bella blushed, fascinated by the thought.

"I love watching you blush, you know that?" he murmured, rubbing his nose against her cheek. "What's made you blush this time?"

Embarrassed, Bella blushed even harder.

"Go on, tell me," urged Edward, rubbing her thigh with his free hand.

Not wanting anyone to overhear, she leaned into him and whispered in his ear. "The thought of you taking me against the car. Or in the car."

Edward's hand gripped her thigh as he stopped himself from groaning aloud. "Hold that thought, my love," he whispered back. "It's a bit cold at the moment, but when the weather warms up..." He left it at that as he pulled away when their orders arrived.

They turned the conversation to safer topics during their meal, even though the sexual tension between them was almost tangible. A couple of other diners, patients of theirs, stopped to say hello and wish them a merry Christmas, speculation clearly in their eyes as they saw them together.

"I noticed you don't have any Christmas decorations up," said Edward after the women left.

"I don't really bother since I'm usually at Dad's on Christmas day. And I'm going to Florida this time." It suddenly dawned on her that she would be away from Edward, on the other side of the country.

"I'll miss you and count the minutes until you come back," said Edward.

"I wish I could cancel but Mom is really looking forward to my visit," said Bella regretfully.

"Don't be silly. Of course your mother wants to see you. It's only a couple of days."

"Why don't you come with me? Mom wouldn't mind."

"I doubt I'd be able to get on the same flight, a week before Christmas, don't you? And besides, I'm working over Christmas. I can't ask for time off when I've only been there a few weeks."

"I know," sighed Bella. "It's just that I don't want to be away from you."

"I don't either. But we'll talk on the phone and you'll probably be so busy catching up that the time will fly."

"I suppose."

"Can I see you off and pick you up?" asked Edward.

"I'd love that. I was going to ask Jake to do it, but I'd much rather it were you, although I'll hate saying goodbye."

"Think about when you come back instead," he urged.

"You're spending Christmas with your parents, I suppose?" asked Bella.

"Yeah, although I'm working that day. I'll get back for dinner. So we couldn't have spent the whole day together anyway, even if you were here. Where's your father spending Christmas, with you out of town?"

"He's going to Jake's father's place. Edward, would you come to his place with me? I'd like to introduce you to my father. He knows I've been seeing you and wants to meet you. He's a bit overprotective, but he's ok. Would you?"

"Of course I'd like to meet your father. And being overprotective of his daughter is his job as a father, isn't it?" he asked with a smile. "Is there anything I should know? Any topics to avoid? I'd hate to put my foot in it at the first meeting."

Bella laughed. "No. Dad's pretty much an open book. He's really into sports so if you know anything about football that's a pretty safe topic. He'll probably grill you about your prospects," grinned Bella.

"Damn, I was hoping to avoid that subject," joked Edward.

"And for god's sake don't tell him we're lovers," warned Bella.

"Oh, and I was planning on telling him everything I've been doing to his daughter," he replied, tongue in cheek.

Bella just poked him in the ribs with her elbow, Edward giving an exaggerated grunt of pain.

Edward held Bella's hand as they walked back to his car after their meal. She directed him to Charlie's house, neither of them saying much. Edward was surprised to find himself nervous about this meeting with her father. He hadn't met a girl's parents since high school. And he certainly hadn't been sleeping with any of them at that time.

Would Charlie be able to tell that he'd spent the night making mad, passionate love with his daughter? That he intended to make mad, passionate love to her again tonight after they left? What if Charlie Swan didn't like him? What would Bella do?

_Deep breaths Edward_, he said to himself. _Just be yourself. You're a grown man with a responsible, respected job. You have no secrets to be ashamed of. You're a good man who's well liked and respected. And most importantly, you love his daughter deeply and want nothing more than for her to be happy. If the man can't accept that, then there's nothing more you can do._

It didn't take long before they were pulling up in front of Charlie's house. Edward looked at the house that Bella had spent a large part of her life in. It was simple weatherboard, two-storied house. Comfortable, unpretentious. Like Bella.

He climbed out of the Volvo and walked around to open Bella's door.

"You don't have to do that Edward. I can open my own doors."

"I know you can. I've been brought up like this. Dad has always opened doors for Mom. It's just a courtesy that I've always seen. I know that you're the most intelligent, capable woman I've ever met. I won't do it if bothers you."

"It doesn't bother me. I'm just not used to it, that's all. If it makes you happy, that's fine with me," she replied.

"I like treating you like a princess. Like you're precious to me. Which you are. You're my lady, and I enjoy treating you like one."

"And you're my man," she said, caressing his cheek.

"Yes, only yours."

They stared into each other's eyes for several minutes, no words needed. Bella finally broke the spell, reaching up and kissing him sweetly. "Come on, let's meet my Dad."

She took his hand and led him up the porch steps and stopping at the door. "Ready?"

Edward nodded his head so Bella opened the door and called out "Dad?"

From a room off the hallway came the reply. "In here."

Bella led him into the lounge room, where Charlie was watching an ice-hockey game.

"Dad, I've brought Edward around to meet you."

Charlie looked up and put the game on mute before standing up.

"Good evening sir," said Edward, putting out his hand in greeting. "Bella's told me a lot about you."

"That so?" replied Charlie gruffly, shaking Edward's hand. "Call me Charlie."

"Thanks Charlie. It's good to finally meet you. My father speaks very highly of you."

Bella smiled inwardly. She could see Charlie straighten at the words of praise. "Your father's a very good man. We're very lucky to have him here."

"And we're just as lucky to have Edward here too," interrupted Bella.

Charlie nodded. "Yep, heard that too. Take a seat Edward. Bella, you mind getting us a beer?" He turned to Edward. "You drink, don't you son?"

Edward nodded with a smile. "Only when I'm not on call, which I'm not tonight. A beer sounds great, thanks."

"I'll get you both one. Have you had dinner, Dad?"

"Yeah, I heated up one of your dinners, Bels," replied Charlie.

"That's good. I'll just see what you have left and make more during the week if you need it."

"Don't worry about it Bels. I'll be having dinner out a few nights this week. Been invited for Christmas drinks by the guys at work."

"Oh, ok. That's good. Well, I'll just get your beers," she said, giving Edward a quick wink and going out to the kitchen.

Taking her time in order to let Edward work his charm on her father, Bella straightened out the kitchen. Finally, when she judged Edward needed her to save him, she took out the drinks before taking a seat next to Edward. She took his hand in hers, a gesture Charlie took full note of.

Charlie and Edward talked mainly about sports, Edward surprising Bella with the range of his knowledge. Bella joined in now and then but let the men do most of the talking.

"Does Edward know you're visiting your Mom this Christmas, Bels?" asked Charlie.

"Yes Dad. He's going to take me to the airport and pick me up."

"Ok. You be sure to drive carefully Edward. All sorts of loonies on the roads at this time of year. Too many people drinking and driving. I know it's Christmas but, geez, the things we see at this time of year just makes you shake your head in bewilderment."

"I'm always careful Charlie. I would never do anything to endanger Bella. My Volvo also has an excellent safety rating," replied Edward.

Bella mentally awarded Edward with multiple points for that comment. It would certainly impress Charlie. Anyone who took Bella's safety seriously was ok in his book.

"Good to hear, son. Good to hear."

After about an hour, Bella stood up, saying it was time Edward got her home.

"We've both got work tomorrow and need to get things ready."

Edward and Charlie both stood up. "Bella's right. I'd better get her home. It was good to meet you," said Edward.

Charlie shook his outstretched hand. "Same here."

"Bye Dad. I'll see you sometime this week. I'll call to make sure you're not out," said Bella, giving her father a hug.

"Yeah, see you then."

They said their goodbyes, Charlie watching from the door as Edward handed Bella into the car before getting in and driving off sedately.

"Well, that went pretty well, I thought," said Edward, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips, kissing her palm.

"Yeah, I thought so too. I didn't realise you knew so much about sport."

"Think I'm just a medical nerd, do you?" he asked with a smile.

"No. You just don't seem like a sports nut, that's all."

"I know a lot of stuff about a lot of things. I have to admit the nightly news is my favourite tv show."

"You _are_ a nerd," she teased.

"I'll show you nerd, young lady. Just wait until I get you in bed. I'll show you just what this nerd can do," he threatened.

"Promises, promises."

When they got back to her apartment, Edward led her to her bedroom with almost indecent haste.

"God, it's been too long since you've been in my arms," he murmured as he trailed kisses down her throat whilst undoing the buttons on her shirt.

"Much, much too long," agreed Bella breathlessly.

Not much was said after that, as Edward proceeded to finish what he started, bringing them both to the peak of pleasure.

It was nearly midnight before Edward got out of bed, a drowsy Bella watching him dress. When he was ready to leave, he gave Bella a long, drawn out goodnight kiss.

"Bye my love. I'll see you at work," he said against her lips.

"Mmm. Goodbye darling. I love you," she sighed.

"I love you too. I'll let myself out. Sweet dreams, Bella," he said with one last kiss.

"Always, with you in them," she replied.

With a great effort, Edward dragged himself away from Bella and drove home. He was missing her already.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**Please review and let me know your thoughts.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hi again everyone. Thanks for your reviews. An email telling me I have a new review gets me really excited. Thanks also to all the new readers out there.**

**A big thanks to MrskatyCullen for proofing this for me.**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 13

As usual in a small town hospital, word had spread like wildfire about Bella and Edward. Those who hadn't been at the Ball had been rapidly filled in by those that had.

All morning Bella had received knowing smiles and remarks by other staff. Most had been positive, a handful, not so much. Those Bella brushed off. What she and Edward did outside of work was their business, no-one else's. As long they were professional at work, that's all that mattered.

It was mid-morning by the time Bella saw Edward. She had been kept busy all morning answering questions from new mothers and also with paperwork while Edward had been in a meeting. Bella was at the nurse's station when Edward walked into the unit and she couldn't prevent her wide smile of delight at seeing him. Edward made a beeline for her to say hello.

Conscious of the amused glances from the other staff around, Bella tried to remain circumspect. Inside, she was bubbling away with happiness.

"Hi Edward."

"Hi Bella. Hi everyone," he said to the others around, receiving a number of greetings in return. Edward proceeded to ask Bella about the schedule for the day, while his eyes spoke of much more private matters.

Edward had to stay back that night so Bella went home but not before she gave him a very passionate goodbye kiss in his office. It was hard to drag herself away.

With only five days before she left for Florida, she gave her mother a call to confirm her flight plans. Renee sounded really excited about Bella's visit, making Bella feel guilty about not having the same enthusiasm for the trip. It wasn't that she wasn't looking forward to seeing her mother, but if Edward were going along, she'd look forward to it much more, but it wasn't possible.

She was just settling down to a book when her phone rang. She saw that it was Alice. Probably looking to get a progress report on her relationship with Edward, she thought wryly.

"Hello Alice."

"Hi Bella. How's things?"

"Don't you mean did Edward and I go all the way yet?" asked Bella.

Alice giggled on the other end of the phone. "You know me too well, don't you Bella?"

"Yes, Miss Busybody."

"So, did you?"

Bella thought back to the weekend and could feel herself tingling all over as she remembered Edward's hands and lips all over her body. Oh, how she wished he were here now.

"Hello? Bella? You still there?"

Alice's amused voice over the phone brought her back to the present.

"Can I take it from your silence that you did?" asked Alice.

"Yeah," sighed Bella.

"From the sound of your voice it lived up to expectations?"

"Oh Alice, it was wonderful. Edward is a magnificent lover."

"Ahh! Ok, back track! I don't want details of my brother's sexual prowess," cried Alice.

"Well you asked!"

"I just wanted to know if you'd finally done the deed, that's all. I thought you'd both explode if you didn't have sex soon," giggled Alice. "So, how did the rest of the night go? I take it Edward liked the dress?"

"Boy, did he like the dress. He didn't especially like other men looking at me in it, but he liked it. Especially when it came off," she teased Alice.

"Mission accomplished then?"

"Yep. The ball was great. Edward and I danced a lot. Well, we swayed together a lot then he rushed us back to his place. He drove me home yesterday afternoon."

"I'm so happy for you. And for Edward. I think he's been lonely for a long time and now he has you."

"He told me he loved me."

"Of course he does. You feel the same, don't you?"

"Yeah, Alice. I love him with everything in me. I didn't know it could feel like this," said Bella softly.

"It's feels pretty damn good, doesn't it?"

"Mmm hmm. Pretty damn good. Wish he was here now, but he's working tonight."

"At least you get to see him at work."

"Yeah, but I can't do what I want to do to him there."

Alice laughed. "Bella, are you becoming sex-obsessed?"

"I think I might be."

"Welcome to the club. Why do you think I got pregnant so quick?" Alice stopped laughing abruptly as she realised what she said. "I'm sorry Bella, I shouldn't have said that."

"Alice, don't be silly. We're certainly not at the stage where we're thinking babies! And if Edward was so traumatised about it, working as an obstetrician isn't the smartest solution, is it?" Bella pointed out. "Sure, it makes Edward sad, but he doesn't dwell on it."

"Yeah I know. It's just that I'd love to see him as dad one day."

"And there's no reason why he can't be in the future. Let's change the subject."

"Ok. I know you're going to your Mom's in Florida but I want to have a pre-Christmas dinner with you before you go. When do you fly out?"

"Mid-morning on Saturday. Edward's taking me to the airport."

"Are you working on Friday night?"

"No. I'm finishing at 4pm on Friday," answered Bella.

"Great. I'll organise it for Friday night. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good. It'll give me a chance to celebrate Christmas with Edward."

"It's a shame he can't go with you to Florida."

"I know. I wish he could. I'll miss him so much but he can't take the time off and it would be impossible to get a flight this late."

"We'll try to cheer him up on Christmas day. He'll probably be miserable without you."

"And I'll be miserable without him," sighed Bella.

"It's only a couple of days."

"It'll feel like a couple of weeks. I'll have to put on a brave face for Mom though. I don't want to put a dampener on her Christmas."

After agreeing on a time to go over on Friday night, they hung up and Bella read for a while before going to bed. She couldn't settle though. Last night Edward had been in bed with her and the memories kept her in a constant state of arousal. Grabbing one of the pillows, she hugged it to herself, imagining she could still smell his scent on it.

It was no good. She wanted Edward's body next to her, touching her; a pillow just wasn't going to cut it. Her whole body felt heavy and languid, aching for him. Already she was addicted to him. How was she going to cope in Florida?

She had been in bed for nearly an hour when her phone rang. She saw it was nearly 11pm and reached for the phone, smiling as she saw Edward's name on the screen.

"Hi," she breathed.

"Hi baby. Were you asleep?"

"No. I'm in bed but I can't sleep. Are you still at work?"

"I'm just about to leave. Why can't you sleep?" he asked in a low voice.

"Because I miss you. I keep thinking about you, about us. Wishing you were in bed with me."

She heard Edward groan softly. "Oh baby, I wish I was too."

"I want you so badly, Edward," breathed Bella, wriggling in bed, trying to ease the ache.

"Oh love, I'm dying for you."

"Come over. Now. I need you."

She could hear Edward's accelerated breathing while he decided what to do. His decision took only moments. "I'll be there soon. I need you too."

"Love you," whispered Bella.

"Adore you. Wait for me," he said before hanging up.

Bella lay back, a huge grin on her face. He was coming over and would make delicious love to her. She hugged herself before jumping out of bed. Grabbing a negligee that she had been given but never worn, she changed out of her baggy sweats, smoothing the delicate material over her body. She turned up the heating; she didn't want to be shivering with cold while Edward made love to her. Goosebumps weren't the most attractive thing in the world.

She was just finishing re-making her bed when she heard the soft knock at the door. Her pulse racing with anticipation, she looked through the peep-hole to make sure it was Edward. It would be mortifying if it was a neighbour and she opened the door in only her negligee.

Edward stood on her doorstep, his face tense with pent up desire, his eyes burning when he saw her, in only black satin and lace.

Bella stepped back as he entered, closing the door behind him. In the next instant she was in his arms, their mouths kissing ravenously as if they'd been apart for months. Edward lifted her into his arms, her legs wrapped around him as his hands wandered up and down her back.

He stumbled towards her bedroom, both of them too desperate for the other to do anything else. As his legs touched the bed, he sat down, Bella wrapped around him. Edward's lips roamed over her face, then moved to her throat, nipping and licking the skin there.

Bella was finding breathing hard to do, especially when his hands began caressing the skin of her legs, on either side of his waist. His hands moved up and under the lace hem and made their way to her hips.

"Bella! You've haven't got any underwear on," he muttered against her shoulder.

"No."

"Oh god Bella. I've got to have you, now. I can't wait," he groaned.

"Yes, oh god, yes. I need you," she gasped, rolling her hips over the straining bulge in his trousers.

Grabbing the hem of her negligee, Edward lifted it up and over her head in one smooth movement, leaving her naked in his lap. Bella lifted her arms to assist him and he grabbed her hands, holding them above her head, her pert breasts lifting up towards him.

"Dear Lord, you're beautiful," he murmured, bending down to lick one taut nipple before blowing on it, watching it pebble even more. Bella was breathing heavily and she tried to release her hands so that she could tangle them in his bronze hair. Except Edward wouldn't release them.

"Edward!" she pleaded.

He just ignored her and kept teasing her breasts, now so sensitive to his teasing they almost hurt. But it was such a good hurt. Finally, he let her hands go as he sucked first one, then the other into his mouth, Bella's little moans of pleasure making him crazy. Her hands were gripping his hair, anchoring him to her. With his free hand, he reached down between them and felt the burning heat of her desire. She nearly jumped off his lap when his fingers gently massaged her, opening her, measuring her readiness.

When he began moving his fingers, Bella started bucking against his hand, little whimpers coming from her. Wanting her pleasure more than his own, Edward nipped and soothed her nipples and massaged her nub with his thumb.

Bella cried out, tightening her arms and legs reflexively around him. Her head was flung back, her mouth open as she climaxed. Edward was entranced, as always, by the sight of her, lost in her pleasure. He was so aroused, it was painful. He felt the gush of liquid over his fingers and knew he couldn't wait any more.

He turned her so that she lay on the bed, legs opened invitingly for him. As he quickly stripped, Edward started counting backwards, trying to calm his body down. He wanted to last more than a couple of strokes.

Bella's heavy lidded eyes watched him, a siren's smile on her swollen lips. When he was naked, he knelt down between her legs, his throbbing member tantalisingly close to where they both wanted to be.

"Now Edward," she pleaded softly, fully aroused again. "I want you inside me."

No match for her pleading, not even trying, Edward sought her entrance, lifting one of her legs high up on his hip. With one smooth movement, he filled her, both of them moaning at the pleasure of his body stretching hers.

"Bella!" he gasped against her mouth, unable to stop himself from moving.

"Oh yes! Yes, like that," she gasped as he began thrusting into her, his legs on the floor providing leverage.

"I'm...I won't last long, baby," he muttered against her throat.

"Harder Edward," she demanded, her hands latching on to his taut butt cheeks.

He obeyed instantly, his heart thumping in his chest, the occasional grunt the only sound he was capable of making.

After only a few thrusts, Bella cried out. "Edward! Ohhhh!..." as her orgasm broke over her, starting where their bodies were joined, radiating out in waves of pleasure over her whole body.

The sensation of her pulsing around him was enough to send a frantic Edward over the edge. With one last desperate thrust, he spilled himself into her, nearly unable to breath from the pleasure engulfing him.

For long moments they rocked together, slowly coming back to reality. Their bodies were damp with sweat, their chests rising and falling as they sought to get their breaths back. They were both still wrapped in each other's arms.

"That...that was incredible," sighed Edward breathlessly as he rolled over, dragging her with him.

"Yeah," agreed Bella, feeling completely satiated.

Leaning over, she gave him a soft, loving kiss. Edward reciprocated, tugging on her bottom lip before running his tongue over it. For a seemingly endless time, they sipped, licked and kissed each other's mouths, too stunned by the intensity of their lovemaking to talk.

Eventually, Edward sat up and began pulling down the bedcovers for them to climb into bed.

"I'll be back in a moment," said Bella, getting off the bed and walking to the bathroom, aware of Edward's admiring eyes on her naked body. She was feeling too mellow at the moment to worry about her nudity.

She caught a look at her face as she entered the bathroom and smiled at the sight. Her hair was a tangled mess. Her lips were red and swollen from his kisses while her eyes were languorous with satisfaction. She looked...sexy. Edward made her feel sexy. And loved.

Edward was lying in her bed, his arms behind his head, his eyes closed and a smile on his face. The covers only came up to his hips. Bella licked her lips as she ran her eyes over his beautifully toned chest. He was such a beautiful man. And he was hers.

Opening one eye as he heard Bella re-enter the room, he sucked in his breath as he watched her walk toward the bed. She was heartbreakingly beautiful. She was his Venus. Her full breasts which fit into his hands perfectly; her porcelain skin, so soft to touch; her legs, slim and shapely, which felt like heaven wrapped around him. But most of all, Bella. Just Bella, the love of his life. He could feel a well of emotion in his chest as he watched her.

He pulled back the covers for her as she reached the bed. Pulling her close into his arms, he covered them both, not wanting her to get cold. Bella's head rested on his shoulder, her leg between his, arms around each other.

After the power of their lovemaking, the intimacy of their bodies was soothing and just as satisfying.

"Will you stay the night?" she whispered. Bella couldn't bear the thought of his leaving.

"Ok. I'll set my alarm to wake me up early so I can go home and change before work."

"That's good," murmured Bella into his throat, breathing deeply. "I love you so much Edward. I'm so glad you came over tonight."

"Me too, baby. Me too." Kissing her forehead, he closed his eyes. "I love you too, Bella. I adore you."

"Mmm, that's nice," mumbled Bella, half asleep.

Edward chuckled softly, a smile on his face as he fell asleep.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Bella was just finishing giving a couple of prescribed painkillers to a mother who had a c-section the previous day and was in a fair bit of discomfort when a call came through for her. Taking the call at the nurse's station, she saw Edward walk towards his office, talking to Dr Haas. He turned his head and gave her a slow, intimate smile, memories of the previous night in his eyes plain for her to see.

She had been tossing and moaning, another erotic dream of Edward invading her sleep. This time though, the object of her dreams had woken her up in the best possible way, ensuring her dreams became reality.

The next time she woke, Edward had been gently kissing her shoulder as he got ready to leave. She had flung her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another hot, open-mouthed kiss. Edward had moaned loudly and very half-heartedly protested that he had to go or he'd be late, his body definitely wanting to side with Bella. Reluctantly, Bella had let him go, aroused and aching. She gave him a sexy smile, full of promise.

Remembering that she had someone waiting on the phone, Bella pulled herself together.

"Hello, Bella Swan speaking."

"Hi Bella. It's Chris. Are you free to come down to my office?"

Bella frowned as she wondered what the hospital's counsellor wanted. "Um, yeah, sure. I'll come down now. What's up?"

"I'll tell you when you get here. Is Doctor Cullen free as well?"

"No, he's got a clinic in five minutes."

Five minutes later, Bella was knocking on Chris' door, still puzzled. The door opened, a smiling Chris ushering her in. Bella saw she wasn't alone.

"Bella, thanks for coming so quickly," said Chris.

"No problem. Hello Mrs Johnson. It's good to see you again. How's Chelsea?" said Bella.

Mrs Johnson stood up and clasped Bella's hand. Bella then noticed that there was a pram next to Chris' desk.

"Nurse Swan..." said Mrs Johnson.

"Bella, please," insisted Bella, curiosity evident in her voice.

"Bella, then," smiled Mrs Johnson. "I wanted to come and say thank you."

Bella looked at the woman, the difference to when she last saw her amazing. Gone was the grief and stress, replaced by a calm smile. Bella couldn't help looking at the pram. "Thank you?"

"Yes, thank you. I wanted to thank you and Dr Cullen for being so compassionate and caring when Chelsea gave birth. You could have been judgemental about Chelsea's circumstances but you were just concerned for her and her baby's well-being and I'm so grateful."

"Mrs Johnson, you don't have to thank us. We were doing our

job. How is Chelsea doing?"

"She's much better. We've been seeing a therapist to help her cope with the ordeal."

"And is that...?" Bella pointed to the pram.

"Yes, that's Chelsea's son." Mrs Johnson turned the pram around so that Bella could see the baby, all rugged up against the cold and swaddled in blankets. She leaned down to get a better look, smiling as she took in the smooth cheeks, chubbier than when he was born.

"He's lovely Mrs Johnson."

Mrs Johnson looked down at the infant, a loving smile on her face.

"May I ask...?"

"Yes, we've, or should I say, Chelsea, has decided not to put him up for adoption."

"How about you both take a seat?" urged Chris. Once they were sitting, Mrs Johnson explained their decision.

"As you know, the birth and its circumstances were so shocking and traumatic to Chelsea and I that it took me a couple of weeks to get things clear in my head." Bella nodded in understanding. "I was so angry at first, especially at that man for what he did but once I calmed down I started thinking about the baby. His name is Marcus, by the way."

"Marcus. That's a lovely name," smiled Bella.

"Therapy helped too. I began thinking about how I would feel in twenty years time, whether I would be wondering about Marcus, how he was, where he was, him not knowing his about his real mother. About knowing that I had a grandson somewhere who I didn't know. The more I thought about it, the less I wanted Chelsea to give him up."

"And how did Chelsea feel about this?"

"At first she wanted nothing to do with him. I know that in her head she thought if he wasn't around she could pretend that nothing had happened. I knew otherwise. I knew that sometime down the track she would probably come to regret giving up her child, that it would haunt her. I was coming in to see him every day, without Chelsea and I admit, I came to love him. When he was released from hospital and went to foster care, I panicked a bit, thinking we'd lost him for good. I was reassured by the people from Social Services that that wasn't the case."

Bella took the woman's hand in hers, giving silent support.

"Anyway, with help from the therapist, Chelsea and I discussed our options and we decided that I will raise Marcus as my own. That way Chelsea will be able to live her childhood and be able to finish her schooling and not have her life ruined by her naivete."

"And she's ok with this?" asked Bella.

"Yes. I don't know if it's because of her age but she's quite happy to think of him as her 'little brother'. When Marcus is old enough, we'll tell him the truth about the circumstances of his birth and hope he can understand why we did what we did. And if ever Chelsea wants to assume her role as Marcus' mother, she can. I just don't want to lose him," sniffed Mrs Johnson, caressing the baby's cheek.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but is Chelsea's father...?"

"Tom and I were divorced a couple of years ago but we've kept up a fairly good relationship for Chelsea's sake. She's very close to him and he was just as devastated as I about what happened. It was all I could do to stop him from going over and killing that boy. After the shock wore off, he was very good and even came to therapy with us."

"That's great to hear," said Bella. "How are you going to cope financially, on your own?"

"My mom is moving here from Wisconsin. She's been wanting to move closer for a while but this has given her the push she needed. She'll be babysitting while I work. Tom has also said that he'll help with the costs of raising Marcus. Said it's his grandson too."

"I'm really pleased that things are going to work out for you and Chelsea," said Bella. "May I ask about Marcus' father? I heard that he's a neighbour. That must be difficult for you and Chelsea?"

"It was, but he's moved away. Gone to Seattle from all accounts. Thank God because I don't know how long I could have gone without wanting to inflict damage to that bastard. I'm dreading the court date," shuddered Mrs Johnson.

"Hopefully you'll be much stronger by then."

"Yeah, I'm sure we will be. Anyway, I brought Marcus in for his check up and I really wanted to see you."

"Well I'm so pleased to see you. I thought about you and Chelsea, and Marcus, quite a bit, wondering how you were all coping," admitted Bella.

"You were so kind to us, even in my hysterical state."

"Like I said, I was doing my job. And I could also empathise with you and Chelsea. You needed support not condemnation at that time."

"Well I know some medical people would have just judged us and Chelsea, as a promiscuous teenager who got herself knocked up."

Bella stood up, joined by the other two women. Mrs Johnson gave her a hug, which Bella returned.

"I'd better get Marcus home before he wakes for his feed. It's amazing but all the things I thought I'd forgotten about caring for a baby have just flooded back."

"Just like riding a bike?" joked Bella.

"Yeah, just like that," replied Mrs Johnson with a laugh.

"Next time you come in with him, make sure you bring him to maternity for a visit," urged Bella sincerely.

"I will. And can you thank Dr Cullen for me? I'm sorry I didn't get to thank him myself."

"Of course I will. He'll be really pleased to hear things are going well for you."

With a final goodbye, Bella left the room, followed by Chris.

"That has made my day," said Bella.

"Me too," replied the counsellor. She then gave Bella a sly look. "Heard you and Dr Cullen set the dance floor on fire on Saturday," grinned Chris. "And not with your dancing either."

Bella blushed even though she knew Chris was teasing her good-naturedly.

"I'm surprised it's not in the local paper yet," replied Bella wryly.

"It doesn't come out 'till Thursday," laughed Chris.

Bella just shook her head and went back to maternity, a large smile on her face. Once there, she told the other nurses and midwives about Mrs Johnson.

She managed to catch up with Edward at lunch where she told him everything that had gone on.

"Oh, that's so great to hear," said Edward, biting into his roll. "I didn't often get to hear about what happened to our patients back in New York so it's great to know things are working out. We know that Marcus is loved and wanted, and that's the important thing."

Bella couldn't agree more.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Bella arranged to go and see Charlie on Wednesday evening. Edward was coming with her but as she was waiting for him to pick her up, he rang to say that he was needed at the hospital. He hoped to finish early enough to meet her at Charlie's. If not, he would come back to her apartment, depending on the time.

Edward had spent the previous night at her apartment, bringing a change of clothing with him. Bella loved the feeling of his warm body curled around hers. She loved waking up with him even more. She had to wipe the grin off her face before she walked into the hospital or else everyone would know exactly how Edward had woken her up.

It was the only night she could see her father before Christmas so Bella went to see him anyway. She had rung Jacob to invite him along in order to introduce Edward and to see her friend and give him her Christmas present.

She arrived at Charlie's and put her roast in the oven. Seeing as it was only going to be four of them originally, she had decided against a turkey. It would take too long anyway. Instead she was roasting chicken. Bella was preparing the vegetables when Charlie got home.

"Hey Bels," greeted Charlie, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Where's Edward?"

"He got called in to work. He hopes to be able to get here later."

"Sounds like police work. Never knowing if you'll be able to finish a meal before getting a call," sympathised Charlie. "Well, hope he can make it later."

They were chatting in the kitchen while Bella worked when Jacob arrived carrying a large gift-wrapped parcel.

"Bella!" he grinned, giving her a big hug. "Hardly get to see you now that you're 'in lurve'."

Bella blushed as she gave her father a quick glance. She wasn't comfortable talking about this with her father there. Obviously Charlie knew what was going on. He wasn't stupid. Police Chiefs seldom are. But it was still embarrassing. Sort of like having your father talk to you about safe sex. Awkward.

"Hey Jake. I'm sorry I've been neglecting you."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I understand. Or I hope to understand one day," smiled Jake, his arm around her shoulder and giving her a hug. He looked around. "Hey, where's Edward? Thought he was coming tonight and I'd finally get to meet lover boy."

Bella gave him a sharp dig in the ribs with her elbow. Jake hardly felt a thing. He had abs so ripped that girls had been known to almost faint when he took his shirt off. It never failed to amuse Bella to see women of all ages give him shy and not so shy looks at the beach. The fact that Jake was single was definitely not due to lack of female attention.

Surprisingly, she heard her father give a faint amused snort into his beer at Jacob's words.

"_Edward_ was called into work. If he can, he'll come over. Ok?" glared Bella.

Jacob just laughed, enjoying the rise he got out of Bella. The three of them sat down to eat, Bella disappointed she still hadn't heard from Edward. After dinner, they opened their presents. Jake gave Bella car seat covers, consigning her current ones to the trash. Bella gave Charlie a current sports almanac.

It was after ten when Edward called Bella.

"Hi love," he said, sounding tired. "I'm really sorry but I won't be getting out of here for a few hours yet. We just had a really difficult delivery and the mother's condition is quite unstable so I don't want to leave until things settle down."

"It's ok. You sound so tired."

"Yeah, I am. Look, I don't want to wake you so I'll just go home and I'll see you tomorrow."

"I won't mind," said Bella.

"No, it's not fair on you. Did you have a good night at Charlie's?"

"Yeah it was good. I wish you could have been here though."

"Me too. Listen, I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow. Love you," he said softly.

"Love you too. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you more. Bye, my love," he said, ringing off.

Jake could see the disappointment in Bella's face as she re-entered the lounge room.

"I take it the doc can't make it?"

Bella shook her head. "No, he'll be at the hospital for a few more hours yet."

"That's tough."

Bella left not long after, hugging Jake and her father and wishing them a good Christmas.

"Say hi to your mom for me," said Charlie. "And Edward."

"I will, Dad. You take care and I'll see you when I get back."

Bella's bed felt cold and lonely that night.

o-o-o-o-o-o

The doorbell rang on Friday night, announcing Edward's arrival to take her to Alice and Jasper's house. Bella had raced home from the hospital after wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and had showered and changed. She was putting on her makeup when Edward arrived.

When she opened the door, Edward took her in his arms, their mouths meeting in a passionate kiss. He held her tightly to him, aching for her. He had been so tired yesterday after getting hardly any sleep that Bella had insisted he go home and sleep. Edward had protested that he wanted to be with her but when he had yawned in the middle of that statement, Bella had stood firm. Two nights without her and he missed her like mad. He didn't want to think about her on the other side of the country.

Bella's arms were entwined around his neck, soft moans escaping her as his hands began exploring her back, wandering down to her backside, caressing her softness. When he pulled her into his hardness, Bella forced herself to break their kiss.

"Edward," she breathed. "We can't. We've got to go to Alice's."

"Mmm, don't care," he murmured, his lips kissing the soft skin behind her ear. "I've missed you so much."

Bella closed her eyes in delight as he delicately licked her skin, sending shivers of desire down her spine. She was close to saying 'hang it, let's stay here and make love' but guilt at letting Alice down brought her back to reality. "Come on, my love. We can't do that to Alice. We can always come back early and celebrate Christmas our own way later," she suggested sexily.

"Promise?"

"Oh yeah, I promise. Come on, I've got to finish getting ready," said Bella, giving him a last quick kiss before stepping out of his arms, smiling at the small pout on Edward's face. It made her heart soar that he wanted her so badly, the way she wanted him.

Alice had gone all out with the Christmas decorations. Her porch was liberally coated with lights, holly and tinsel, as was the rest of the house. Her front lawn had Santa in his sleigh being pulled by his reindeer, as well as a lit up Christmas tree.

"My sister doesn't do anything by halves, does she?" murmured Edward as he came to a stop in the driveway. "Clark Griswald, eat your heart out."

"No, that's for sure," agreed Bella. "Do you think Jasper had to get up there all by himself?" she asked, pointing to the roof which had angels and stars brightly lit up.

"Man, am I glad I'm not married to her," said Edward, shaking his head.

"Me too. You'd be in jail." Edward grinned at her.

Alice greeted them at the door, pulling Bella into a big hug. "Hey Bella, Edward. Come on in. We're just waiting on Mom and Dad. Rosalie and Emmett are already here." Alice put her arm through Bella's as she led them to the sitting room. "My, you two look happy. Amazing what good sex can do, huh?"

"Alice!" they both cried in unison, making Alice giggle.

"They're already finishing each other's sentences," she said to no-one in particular. "Seriously though, I'm so happy for you. My brother and my best friend. What a perfect combination."

Edward just shook his head in resignation, but kissed his sister's hair affectionately anyway. "Glad you approve Squirt."

Rosalie and Emmett were sitting on the lounge, trying to ensure their son Riley didn't rip open all the presents sitting under tree. Rosalie was trying to distract him with one of his favourite toys but the Christmas tree was proving irresistible.

Jasper came in just then, walking over and giving Bella a kiss on the cheek before shaking Edward's hand. "Welcome guys. Glad we could see you before you go, Bella," he said sincerely.

"Thanks Jasper. Hi Rosalie, Emmett," she said in greeting. "Hello Riley. It's very pretty isn't it?" she said, squatting down to the little boy's height. Luckily she was wearing trousers.

Riley gurgled at her in greeting, pointing his chubby little hand at the presents. "Yes, I'm sure one of those is yours but you can't touch until Auntie Alice says so." She knew the little boy couldn't understand what she said, especially when he made a beeline for a present with shiny silver ribbon. Emmett picked up his son.

"Stubborn, like his mom," he said, giving his son a kiss.

"Huh," protested Rosalie. "Pigheaded like his dad," she said with a grin. She turned to Bella and Edward, noting their clasped hands. "Good to see my suspicions were correct."

"What do you mean?" asked Bella.

"You and Edward. Man, the sexual tension between you last time I saw you was incredible. I bet Emmett that you would be together by the end of the year. Time to pay up, hon."

Emmett laughed. "Don't think Alice would be too happy if I paid up here, baby. Besides the fact there's a child in room..."

"Don't worry, I can wait till later," said Rosalie, flashing him a secret smile.

"Count on it," replied Emmett.

Looks like we're not the only ones who'll be racing home tonight, thought Edward with a smile, squeezing Bella's hand. Bella smiled up at him, reading his mind.

Carlisle and Esme arrived, both of them making a fuss over Riley. Bella could see how much they would enjoy Alice's baby.

Dinner was served in Alice's formal dining room, the lavishly decorated table laden with food. Jasper did the honours and cut the perfectly cooked turkey then proceeded to say grace before everyone began eating. The dinner was full of laughter as Emmett regaled them of some of the goings on at the school.

"Man, I thought we were a randy lot, but teenagers today," he shook his head. "The places where I've caught them at it would amaze you."

"This from an someone who was busted in his dad's garage," smirked Rosalie to everyone's amusement.

"Well if this a girl, the boys had better behave themselves, or they'll have to deal with me," said Alice sternly patting her stomach.

"You're a fine one to talk, honey," laughed Jasper. "I didn't know what hit me. One moment I'm having a quiet drink, the next I'm waking up in strange hotel bed, Alice draped all over me."

"And you loved every second of it," crooned Alice, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"Sure did," he agreed with a smile.

The conversation turned to Alice's pregnancy. By this time they had settled themselves back in the sitting room. Riley had fallen asleep and had been put to bed in one of the spare rooms, the door left open so that they could hear him if he called out.

Alice was sitting on Jasper's lap, his hand absently caressing her still flat belly. Bella asked how the morning sickness was going.

"It's getting much better. After changing my eating habits like you suggested, my stomach really settled down. I was still getting sick on the odd occasion but I haven't felt sick at all for the last week."

"That good," said Edward, his arm around Bella's shoulders as she leaned against him. "You're entering your second trimester so hopefully the worst is behind you. Have you made your next appointment?"

"Yes Mr Fussypants," said Alice. "It's just after New Years."

Shortly afterwards, Alice declared it was time to exchange presents. Edward went out to his car and collected his and Bella's presents to add to the pile.

There was much oohing and aahing as gifts were opened, kisses and thank you's exchanged. Bella loved the delicate cardigan Alice had given her in a deep shade of pink. Bella believed Alice had made it her mission to brighten up Bella's wardrobe; most of the colourful clothing she owned had been chosen or given to her by Alice.

Bella had told Edward she would give him his gift at home. She wanted them to be alone when they exchanged their first Christmas gifts. Edward had readily agreed.

Edward watched Bella enjoying herself, his heart full with love for her. She just fit into his family seamlessly, like she was always meant to be there. Maybe she had. Maybe it was destiny for them to meet and fall in love. He didn't know if he believed in that sort of thing but he wasn't going to argue with destiny.

Bella turned her head and gave him a gentle smile, her eyes telling him how much she loved him. Neither looked away for a moment, lost in each other's eyes, the room fading away as they communicated without words. She then came and sat beside him again, snuggling as close as propriety allowed. Edward could feel her breast squeezed against his arm, his body stirring at her proximity. His hand moved from her shoulder and began lightly stroking the skin of her neck. Bella unconsciously moved her head to allow him better access. He could feel the increased speed of her breathing and when she leaned up and kissed his jaw, he decided it was time to go.

It was time to go home and celebrate Christmas with Bella. Alone.

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

**Reviews make my day so send them my way! (I'm a poet and I didn't even know it!)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hi there again! First off, Happy Halloween to all of you in the States. I hope you all had a fun time. It's starting to get pretty hot here, and tomorrow's going to be a stinker! Too bad I have to work - the beach is calling.**

**Thanks so much to everyone who's added my story to their Favourites and Alerts. And to my reviewers - you guys are the best. I'm sorry I don't reply to all my reviews but with only a limited time to write, I feel you'd rather me get my updates out in a reasonable time frame. But please believe that I read every one and I'm humbled that so many of you are enjoying this story.**

**Thanks to MrsKatyCullen for checking this for me.**

Chapter 14

By the time Edward and Bella managed to drag themselves away from Alice's house, their goodbyes having been interminably extended, much to Edward's annoyance, their pent up desire was almost at breaking point.

Unable to help himself, Edward would reach out and caress her cheek, take hold of her hand, touch her hair. Finally, he rested his hand on Bella's thigh, his thumb gently rubbing back and forth.

Bella rested her head on the headrest, looking at his face in profile as he drove. She studied his patrician features, the long, straight nose; his full, masculine lips and his strong chin. She reached out and ran her fingers over his jaw, loving the slight roughness. Unable to help herself, she ran her finger over his lips. She gasped softly when he opened his mouth and sucked on her finger. Combined with his gentle squeezing of her leg, Bella felt like she was burning for him.

"Bella," he protested softly. "We're nearly home."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I want you just as badly. But you know that, don't you?"

Bella just nodded before taking his hand in hers and bringing it to her lips.

Finally, they arrived back at her apartment. With almost indecent haste, they let themselves inside, their hands and lips all over each other. Bella was pulling Edward towards her bedroom, tugging at the buttons on his shirt.

"Bella, what about your Christmas present?" gasped Edward as she gently bit the skin on his throat before soothing it with her tongue.

"I've got my present right here," she replied, pressing herself tightly against him.

Edward chuckled softly, his hands roaming urgently over her body. At this particular moment, he really didn't give a damn about Christmas presents. Everything he wanted was in his arms.

"Later Edward. I need you now," she insisted.

"Yes," he breathed into her skin. "Later." Those were the last words spoken, other than words of passion and love, for quite a while.

o-o-o-o-o-o

They were lying in Bella's bed, their passion sated for the time being. Lying in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, Bella was utterly content. If the world ended now, Bella wouldn't have any complaints.

Edward kissed her hair and lay back, his eyes closed. His pulse was gradually slowing, his body cooling down. The strength of their passion still astounded him. He'd never known anything like the pleasure and joy he felt in Bella's arms. But then, he'd never been in love before, really in love.

When Bella stirred, he opened his eyes and smiled when he caught her staring at him.

"Do I have something on my face?" he asked, grinning.

"No. I just like looking at you."

"That's nice. I love looking at you too. And kissing you. And being with you. And making love to you. And..."

"Ok, ok. I get it," she laughed, sitting up.

Edward gave a small groan as her delicious breasts gently swung so temptingly close to his mouth. Even though he'd only just made love to her, he felt his manhood stirring again as he looked at her. Deciding he needed to give her a bit of time before ravishing her again, he suggested opening their Christmas presents now.

"Ok," agreed Bella, getting out of bed and putting on his shirt. "Do you want a drink?"

"A glass of water would be nice, love," he replied, pulling on his trousers. "I'll just run down to the car."

Bella returned to the bedroom with the water and pulled out an envelope from her bedside table. In no time, Edward returned, rubbing his hands, a wrapped parcel against his chest.

"Man, it's cold out there!"

"Get back in bed. It's nice and warm in here," she replied, patting the bed beside her.

Edward didn't need a second invitation, pulling off his trousers and hopping back into bed. He reached out for her, his cold hands shocking against her warm skin.

"Ahh! Don't! Your hands are freezing!" protested Bella, pulling away from his seeking hands.

"Aw, come on. Warm them up for me," he pleaded with a laugh.

"No way! Warm them up first."

"And I thought you loved me," he pouted.

"Not that much," she replied straight faced for a moment before breaking into a smile. She held out the envelope, decorated with Santa's, and placed it in his hands. "Merry Christmas."

Edward gave her a sweet kiss before ripping open the envelope. He withdrew the cardboard folder and opened it. "Oh Bella. This is..." he looked up, a delighted smile on his face.

Inside the folder were two tickets to a performance by the world renowned Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra the following April. "I didn't know what to get you. I mean, you have everything you need. Then I happened to read that the orchestra was touring and are performing in Seattle. When I found out that they will be performing music by Chopin and Debussy, well, it seemed perfect."

"Yes, it is. Thank you so much, my love," he said before pulling her close and giving her a long loving kiss, his fingers stroking her cheek. "I love it."

Bella smiled happily. "I'm so glad. I thought it would be nice if we spend the weekend in Seattle."

"You, my love, are a genius," he said. "I'll organise somewhere. We'll make a romantic weekend of it."

"Can't wait," she agreed. Edward seemed really pleased with his gift.

"I went to a performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra while living in New York. That was fantastic. The Berlin Philharmonic is one of the best orchestras in the world," he informed her, still looking at the tickets.

"You play piano well enough to perform. Did you ever consider playing professionally?" asked Bella curiously.

Edward shook his head. "No, not really. I always knew I wanted to go into medicine. I love playing but for my own pleasure. If I played professionally, I think the pressure to perform would take away from the enjoyment. I don't think I'm good enough anyway," he smiled wryly.

"You're wrong, you know. But I'm very happy you became a doctor," she declared, giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"Me too," he agreed. "Ok, your turn to open your present," he said, holding out a small, brightly wrapped parcel, covered in silver ribbon. "Merry Christmas, my love."

Bella took it excitedly, carefully pulling off the ribbon before picking at the wrapping.

"Oh god, you're one of those."

"What?" she asked, looking at him.

"You take an interminable time to unwrap a present. Why don't you just rip it?" he asked.

"I like to undo the paper. I like prolong the surprise." Deliberately teasing him, Bella took even longer to unwrap her present. At last the box came into view.

"Finally!" he said under his breath.

Bella ignored him and looked down at the box. It was a jeweller's box. Opening it up carefully, she gasped softly as she saw the contents.

Nestled on a bed of blue velvet lay a delicate gold filigree necklace along with matching earrings. There was a heart shaped filigree pendant, dotted with diamonds that hung off the chain. The earrings were the same heart shape, with a larger diamond in each.

"Edward. They're gorgeous. It's too much, though," protested Bella.

"Nonsense," replied Edward. "Nothing's too much for you, my love. Just say 'Thank you my darling Edward, I love them' and I'll help you put them on.

Bella couldn't help laughing. "Thank you my darling Edward, I love them" she said in mock-obedience.

"That's better. Here, let me put the necklace on you."

Bella took the necklace from the box, dangling it from her fingers as she watched it catch the light, the diamond sparkling. "It's just beautiful, Edward. Did you choose it?"

"Yes. I saw it and it just seemed perfect. Feminine and strong, just like you. The heart shaped pendant was perfect too. A symbol of my love," he said softly.

"I love it and I love you," she replied. She held out the necklace and turned around, lifting her hair up. Reaching out, Edward carefully placed the necklace around her throat and fastened the clasp. Bella then put the earrings on, turning to face him.

Edward groaned softly. There was something so sensual and feminine about Bella putting on earrings, her head tipped to the side, her neck arched and exposed for his eager lips.

When she was finished, Bella looked up him and smiled widely. "So, what do you think?"

"Stunning, just stunning," he replied, looking at her eyes, not the jewellery. "Bella, take the shirt off," he whispered.

Bella's eyes darkened with desire and she slowly began undoing the buttons of his shirt. One by one, she slipped each button from its mooring, revealing more skin. When all the buttons were undone, Bella pulled apart the edges of the shirt, revealing her body to Edward and took it right off.

Edward sucked in his breath, his body tight with desire. Bella sat there, her hair tousled wearing nothing but the jewellery he'd given her.

"Dear Lord Bella, you are so beautiful," he breathed as he reached out and slowly ran a finger over the necklace, teasing Bella's skin. Eyes locked on each other, Edward traced his finger over her throat, sending rivers of fire through Bella. Slowly, deliberately, Edward's finger made its way down her body. He teased and tormented her until she could barely breath with wanting him.

Finally, who knows how much later, Edward ended the torture and made sweet, sweet love to her before they both fell asleep, exhausted.

o-o-o-o-o-o

The Volvo ate up the miles to the airport much too quickly for Bella's liking. Each mile brought her closer to when she would have to say goodbye to Edward. They had woken up to her alarm and showered together. Edward made breakfast while Bella finished her packing. She made sure she had her gifts for Renee and Phil, double checking she had her flight tickets. Now, they were coming to the ferry which would transport them over the Sound into Seattle.

They parked the car in the hold and went upstairs. Edward got them a coffee and they sat together, holding hands.

"Ring me when you get there so I know you've arrived safely," said Edward.

"Ok. Will you ring me when you finish work? I'd ring you but you could be working. I'll just be hanging around with Mom, so it won't matter when you ring."

"Of course. I'll make sure I ring you at a decent hour, with the time difference," he said, kissing her wrist.

"I don't care what time you ring. I just want to hear your voice," she insisted.

"Ok love. I'll ring you tonight and first thing tomorrow before I start work. Is that ok?"

"And tomorrow night. I want to hear about your Christmas day."

"I promise. And you can tell me about your day with your mother." He looked at her intently. "I'll miss you, baby."

Bella rested her head on his shoulder, his arm holding her tight. "I'll miss you too. I'm already missing you," she whispered.

Neither said much after that as the ferry drew closer to the city.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"_Final call for Flight 573 to Jacksonville. Could all passengers on Flight 573 to Jacksonville please make their way to the gate for boarding."_

"I'd better go," said Bella picking up her bag. The moment she'd been dreading was finally here.

"Here, let me carry that." Edward took the bag off her, slung it on his shoulder then took her hand. Slowly, they walked to the gate. Other passengers were making their way onto the aerobridge, a line forming. Bella waited until all the other passengers were through before leaving Edward.

As the last of the other passengers were going through the gate, Edward grabbed Bella in a tight, desperate hug. Bella dropped the bag and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder, tears gathering behind her eyelids.

When she lifted her head, they looked at each other for a moment before their mouths met in a long, sweet, goodbye kiss. They savoured each other for as long as possible, knowing this would have to sustain them until she came back.

They finally pulled away, their foreheads resting against each other. Edward saw the lone tear fall down her face and he reached up to wipe it away.

"Don't cry baby," he whispered. "I'll be here on Monday waiting for you. I want you to have a good time with your Mom, ok?"

Bella just nodded, her throat too tight to speak.

"You'd better go. The attendant's looking a bit impatient. I love you Bella. So much."

"I love you too Edward. More than anything," she said through the huge lump in her throat.

Edward let her go, picked up her bag and put it on her shoulder. One last quick kiss and Bella walked toward the gate, away from Edward.

"Bye Edward. I love you."

"Goodbye Bella. Love you too. Miss you," he replied, raising his hand in farewell.

Bella turned and walked through the gate, looking back, trying to see Edward until he was finally out of sight.

Wiping her eyes, she boarded the plane and took her seat. She was sitting next to an older lady and Bella hoped she wouldn't want to chat. She just wasn't in the mood. She was missing Edward already, and the plane hadn't even left the gate yet.

She had six hours or so to put on a brave face before seeing her mother.

Bella wondered whether Edward was waiting until her plane left before heading out to Forks or if he'd already left, unable to bear watching her plane take off, taking her so far away.

"You look sad, dear. Leaving someone behind?" asked the lady beside her.

"Yeah. Someone really special."

o-o-o-o-o-o

"_Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to descend and will be arriving at Jacksonville in approximately ten minutes. Please ensure your seatbelts are fastened, your tray tables secured and all loose items stowed. Please turn off your phones as we prepare for landing. The weather is fine and warm and we hope you have a great day and a great Christmas." _

The disembodied voice of the captain roused Bella from her sleep. As she sat up, she groaned as she felt the stiffness in her neck from sleeping upright. Slowly, she rotated her head, trying to ease the soreness then stood up and stretched before re-fastening her seatbelt.

"Visiting family?" asked her neighbour.

"Yes, my mother lives here," replied Bella with a small smile.

"That's nice. Hope spending time together will cheer you up a bit. You looked very sad before."

"I had to leave my boyfriend behind because he has to work," she explained.

"That's a shame. Well, I hope you have a lovely Christmas anyway."

"You too," replied Bella.

The whine of the engines signalled their imminent landing. The building pressure behind her ears was another indicator. Bella was always a little nervous when the plane was coming in to land and she gripped the armrests tightly. She wished Edward was next to her, holding her hand. Bella was sure that Edward would be able to soothe her fears.

As the plane touched down with a bump, Bella breathed a sigh of relief. The plane taxied to the gate and was filled with the sounds of passengers gathering their possessions and getting ready to leave the plane. Some were relieved to finally get home before Christmas, while others were excited at the prospect of seeing friends or relatives.

Bella was still feeling ambivalent about her visit. _Pull yourself together Bella_, she admonished herself. _You'll see Edward in a couple of days. Don't ruin Mom's Christmas_.

Saying goodbye and wishing her fellow passenger a Merry Christmas, Bella disembarked the plane and prepared to look for her mother.

All around, people were greeting each other. There were hugs and kisses everywhere, children being swung into the air. Several couples were being reacquainted, Bella watching a bit enviously as they kissed passionately.

"Bella!"

Looking around, Bella spotted her mother making her way towards her through the crowd, arm raised and waving manically.

Smiling, Bella walked towards her and found herself engulfed in her mother's arms, being rocked back and forth. It brought back memories of her childhood, when Renee would be ecstatic to see her daughter again after one of her visits to Charlie.

"You look wonderful, baby," declared Renee, holding her by the shoulders as she stood back to look at her.

"Thanks Mom. So do you," she replied. "Hi Phil," she said, giving her stepfather a hug.

"Hey Bella. It's great to have you here. You don't know how excited your mom's been about you spending Christmas with us," said Phil.

"Me too." It was a little white lie, but Renee didn't need to know that.

Talking animatedly, they made their way to the car, Phil following behind while carrying Bella's bag. The warmth hit Bella straight away. It was such a contrast to the cold and snow of home, and Bella could feel herself starting to sweat under her heavy coat.

"Ugh, I'd forgotten how warm it is here," said Bella, taking off her coat.

Renee laughed. "I don't know how you cope with all that cold and rain back in Forks. I couldn't do it again. Give me warm, sunny Florida any day."

"I'm used to it Mom. Besides, there are compensations," said Bella, looking out the window so she didn't see her mother's speculative look.

"If you say so."

Renee's house was also decorated with fairy lights and candy canes. Not as spectacular as Alice's house, but then it would take a lot to top Alice.

"Did you put up all these lights, Phil?"

"Yeah, with your mom giving instructions, or should I say, shouting instructions at me," grinned Phil.

"Well, if you'd listened to me in the first place, you wouldn't have had to take down that whole section and reposition it, would you?" retorted Renee.

Bella sat back and watched their friendly bickering. Renee really did look happy. Even in her mid-forties she was a very attractive woman, her strawberry blond hair cut shorter than last time Bella saw her. Her eyes shone as she laughed, a loud, uninhibited laugh. Renee was proud of the laughter lines around her eyes and mouth. She said it showed that she had a lot of laughter in her life and she wouldn't get rid of them for anything.

"So Mom, still having trouble with technology?" asked Bella, knowing Renee's allergy to modern gadgets.

Phil laughed and looked at his wife. "Tell her about the phone, honey."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes Mom. Tell me," insisted Bella.

"I swear it's not my fault. These gadgets just don't like me. I try to be nice but..."

"Just tell me what you did Mom," she laughed.

"Well Phil got me one of those I-thingy's..."

"Iphone?"

"Yeah, that one. I don't know why, he knows what I'm like," she said, shaking her head at her chuckling husband. "Anyway, I just don't get it. A phone should have buttons to press or something and this thing didn't have any."

"It's a touch screen, Mom."

"I know, I know. I just couldn't get the hang of pressing the glass and the stupid thing kept doing stuff I didn't want it to do! All I wanted was to make a phone call, for Pete's sake! Then I pressed so hard, the glass just cracked and a piece flew off, landing on my foot. I yelled out in pain, inadvertently throwing the phone which hit Phil in the head, cutting his skin. We both ended up in Emergency, Phil getting his head stitched and me getting my foot stitched since the glass cut a vein when it landed."

Bella was clutching her stomach as she laughed. "Oh god, I wish I'd been here to see it," she gasped.

When they calmed down a bit, Renee continued. "So Phil has finally given up on trying to train me on these new-fangled gadgets. I'm using my old phone so I can dial and text and we're all happy."

Still chuckling, Bella followed Phil into the bedroom she always used when she came to visit.

"I'll let you get changed into something more appropriate for this weather while I finish getting dinner ready," said Phil, putting her bag on the bed.

"Mom never did learn to cook, did she?" said Bella ruefully.

"Nah. It's safer not to let her make up her concoctions," said Phil, grimacing as he left the room.

Now that she was alone, Bella took the opportunity to ring Edward. She hoped he wasn't at work.

"Bella! Hi baby. How was your flight?"

"Ok, I guess. The usual. I slept for a while," she replied, settling back on the bed.

"How's your Mom?"

"She's great. Really happy to see me. Gosh, it's hot here."

Edward chuckled. "Lucky you. It's snowing here at the moment."

"I wish I was with you. It would be nice to sit in front of your fire, drinking hot chocolate and snuggled up next to you," sighed Bella longingly.

"Ahh Bella, that sounds great. We'll have to do that when you get back. I miss you already."

"Me too. What are you doing?" asked Bella.

"Nothing much. Watching tv and thinking about you."

"Why aren't you at your Mom's or Alice's? You shouldn't be alone on Christmas Eve."

"Not in the mood. I'll see them tomorrow anyway," he replied. "I'm going have an early night."

"I'd like to join you in that early night," whispered Bella.

Edward gave a low, sexy chuckle. "Me too, but that would probably defeat the purpose. I doubt I'd get to sleep early if you were in my bed."

"Me neither. You distract me from all thoughts of sleep."

"Do I now? Hmm. I like that thought very much. I also like the thought of you naked, wrapped all around me. Like you were last night."

Bella closed her eyes and moaned softly. "I'd like to be wrapped around you now, both of us completely naked."

"God Bella. I'll never be able to sleep if you don't stop," he protested, very half-heartedly.

"Yeah I know. I'd better go. Phil's preparing dinner and I've still got to get changed."

"Ok love. Have a good night."

"Call me before you go to work, ok?" insisted Bella.

"Ok. I'll talk to you then. I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Edward."

Bella sat on the bed for a few moments after they hung up. Hearing his voice had made her long for his arms around her. She could almost feel his warm breath on her skin. She hoped she dreamed about him tonight, so that he could be with her in one way at least.

After dinner, the three sat and talked for a while, Bella and Renee drinking Phil's eggnog. Phil finally declared that he was heading off to bed. Giving them both a goodnight kiss, he left the room, leaving the women alone.

Renee turned to Bella, a fond grin on her face. "So Bella. Who is he?"

"What? What do you mean?" hedged Bella. Renee could be flaky at times but she could read Bella like a book.

"The man who's put that glow on your face."

"Who says it's a man?" teased Bella, grinning as Renee's eyes widened momentarily before realising that she was being teased.

"Well, it wouldn't worry me if it wasn't, but I doubt it. So, what's his name?" insisted Renee.

"Edward. Edward Cullen. He's an obstetrician at the hospital."

Renee clasped Bella's hands, bouncing up and down like a teenager discussing boyfriends. "Is he handsome?"

Bella nodded eagerly. "Impossibly handsome."

"Oooh! What's he like? He's got to be smart to be a doctor but what else?" Renee wanted to know everything about this man. It had been years since Bella had shown any interest in a man.

"Oh Mom, he's wonderful," breathed Bella. "He's sweet and loving, kind to everyone. He's a wonderful doctor. He's perfect. At least to me. He can play piano like a concert pianist. He funny and close to his family. He treats me like a princess and takes such care of me. I've never felt anything like what I feel when I'm with him."

Renee sighed and took Bella's hand. "He sounds wonderful. Do you love him?"

"I love him with everything in me, Mom."

Renee hugged her tight. Bella felt like a little girl, held safely in her mother's arms, knowing nothing could hurt her. "I'm so happy for you, baby. I must admit I was getting worried about you. You never showed any interest in anyone. I worried that Forks was just too small and that you would be alone, with only your work to fulfil you. I was going to try to persuade you to spread your wings and move away, to hopefully meet someone you wanted to be with." She stroked Bella's hair as she spoke. "And now you've found him."

"Yeah Mom. I found him. And he loves me just as much."

"Why didn't you bring him with you? I would love to meet him."

"He's only been there for a couple of months so he's working tomorrow. Besides I booked the flight before we got together and you know it's impossible to get a seat anywhere on Christmas Eve."

"I suppose so. That's a shame. Oh well, you'll both have to come back and visit soon." Renee looked intently at her daughter. "Bella, do you think Edward is 'the one'?"

Bella nodded slowly. "I think so Mom. I really hope so, anyway."

"My baby girl's in love!" Renee clapped her hands delightedly. Then she leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially. "And is he a good lover?"

"Mom!"

"What? It's very important that you're both sexually compatible or you could have problems down the track," Renee pointed out.

Bella blushed furiously at Renee's observation. "We have no problems in that area, ok Mom?"

Renee grinned. "So he's good in bed," she said, nodding. "That's good."

"Can we change the subject, please?"

Reluctantly, Renee agreed and they chatted for a while before Bella gave a large yawn.

"I think I'll go to bed," declared Bella as she stood and stretched.

"Me too. At least you don't get up at the crack of dawn on Christmas Day anymore." Renee looked at Bella. "You don't, do you?"

"No," laughed Bella. "I can wait for a decent hour to open presents now."

They gave each other a kiss goodnight and Bella went to bed, and hoped she'd dream about Edward.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"Edward! Hello, earth to Edward!" Looking up, Edward looked vaguely in the direction of whoever was calling his name.

He had been at work most of the day and had delivered Forks' first Christmas baby this year. The hospital had been quieter than usual with only skeleton staff on so he'd used the time to get all his paperwork up to date.

He was missing Bella like crazy. He'd had a hard time getting to sleep without her beside him. It almost physically hurt not to have her nearby where he could touch her or even see her. He hated the thought that a whole continent separated them. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

Before leaving for work, he'd called Bella to wish her a Merry Christmas. They couldn't talk for long so that brief phone call had to sustain him until he called her again tonight.

"Edward!"

Alice was standing in front of him, trying to get his attention. "What? Sorry Alice, I was miles away."

"Obviously. I've been trying to get your attention for ages." Alice threw herself down next to him on the lounge.

He'd gone back to his parents' house for Christmas dinner, together with Alice and Jasper. As much as he tried to enjoy himself, he was just missing Bella too much to appreciate their company. The other's were playing cards but he preferred to sit and stare into the fire with his glass of mulled wine, thinking about her.

"Sorry."

"It's ok. I know you're missing her."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I know it's stupid. She only went away for a couple of nights but it feels like forever."

Alice linked her arm with his. "You're in love. Of course it feels like forever. You want to spend every minute of every day together if you could. I knew you'd be miserable so I'm not surprised. She's coming home tomorrow."

"Thank god," he said with feeling. "I can't wait to see her come through that gate."

"I think you should make an early start tomorrow," advised Alice.

"Why?"

"I heard that the weather's taking a turn for the worse tomorrow. You'd hate to miss her flight because the roads were closed."

"Thanks for that. I'll make sure I get to Seattle before the bad weather comes through. I'd rather be stranded with her than have her alone in Seattle." He hoped her plane wasn't diverted due to weather but anything was possible in winter.

Not long after, Edward bid everyone a good night and went back to his place. He flicked through the channels desultorily but nothing interested him. Deciding to go to bed, he undressed and got comfortable before dialling Bella's number. He hoped it wasn't too late for her or that he didn't wake her.

"Hi."

His heart instantly lightened at the sound of her voice. "Hi beautiful. How was your Christmas day?"

Bella told him what she'd done before Edward told her about his Christmas delivery and the evening with his parents.

"God I miss you Bella."

"Me too Edward. I can't wait to feel your arms around me. I can't wait to kiss you."

"I just want to hold you. Make love you until you lose your mind. My bed is so empty and cold without you, baby."

He heard Bella's voice catch at his words. "Mine too. I'm having trouble sleeping."

"Are you in bed now?" he asked.

"Yes. Are you?"

"Yes. Are you wearing anything?" he asked throatily. God, he sounded like a pervert. "Don't answer that."

"Why? And I'm wearing shorts and a tank top." She replied before continuing. "But I'm not wearing a bra and my breasts feel so sensitive against the material," she told him huskily.

Edward closed his eyes. "Oh baby, I wish I was there to kiss them and make them feel better."

"I wish you could kiss me all over to make me feel better."

Memories of doing just that made Edward's manhood spring to attention. "God Bella. You've got me so hot for you, it hurts."

"I'd kiss it better Edward."

Edward couldn't help the moan of desire that erupted from his throat at the image her words conjured. "I want to be inside you so badly, my love."

"I can almost feel you inside me, pulsing and moving," breathed Bella with a soft moan.

"Baby, touch yourself," begged Edward, taking his penis in his hand and slowly stroking.

"Ok. You too."

"Yes baby. Are you imagining it's my hand touching you? My mouth," he breathed.

"Mmm yes...oh yes Edward. I'm remembering your tongue touching me everywhere."

"God, I can almost taste you now," moaned Edward, stroking himself faster now. He could hear her accelerated breathing on the phone.

"I love you teasing me, tasting me," said Bella, her voice getting more and more unsteady.

"Baby, I'm close. Are you?"

"Yes...oh god, yes. Oh god Edward, I want you," she cried softly.

By now Edward's bed was shaking from the force of his movements. "Yes baby. Imagine it's me moving inside you, making you wet, making you want to scream. _Yes!_" Her soft cries over the phone as he heard her come apart was enough to tip him over the edge, spilling himself into his hand.

He lay back trying to get his breathing back to normal. He heard her ragged breaths. Grabbing a handkerchief, he cleaned himself before speaking again. "Bella? Baby? Are you ok?"

"Mmm hmm," she breathed drowsily. "Did you come?"

"You didn't hear me?" he teased. "Did you?"

"Yes. I've never done that before, Edward."

"What, made yourself come or had phone sex?" he asked with a soft chuckle.

"Phone sex, silly," she rebuked him gently. "I liked it."

"Me too. But I'll enjoy doing the real thing more."

"Oh god, me too. I might be able to sleep now." He heard her give a great big yawn.

"I'll let you go to sleep, my love. Thank you."

"What for?"

"For doing that for me. I'm just missing you desperately," he replied.

"Edward, I love you."

"I love you so much Bella. So much."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'm counting the minutes, baby."

When he hung up, Edward rolled over and closed his eyes, a smile on his face.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would be reunited with his beloved Bella.

Sleep finally took him.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: As per usual, let me know your thoughts xx**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hi again everyone. A super huge thanks to everyone who's been reading and/or reviewing. To read about the pleasure my story is giving you is really humbling. Thanks again.**

**A big thank you to MrsKatyCullen for going over this for me.**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 15

"_Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. Due to severe weather in the Seattle area, we will be forced to circle until there is a sufficient enough break to allow us to land safely. If, after one hour, the weather is still too bad to enable us to land, we will be forced to divert to another airport. We__ apologise__ for the delay and any inconvenience caused. We will do our best to get you to your destination but if safety dictates otherwise, we hope you understand. Please be aware that there may be a fair bit of__ turbulence__ so I will be turning on the seatbelt sign. Please remain seated, with your__ seatbelt__ fastened unless it is strictly necessary to move around. I will keep you informed of any changes. Thank you."_

Bella closed her eyes and gave a small groan. Their flight was already delayed and now it looked like they were going to be on here for at least another hour, more if the plane had to be diverted. Add bad turbulence and the fact that she wasn't the biggest fan of flying at the best of times, and her day wasn't looking promising.

Waking up early, Bella was excited at the thought of going home. Edward would be waiting for her and she couldn't wait to be in his arms again. Although she tried to hide the fact that she was anxious to be leaving, Renee wasn't fooled.

"If I didn't know that you were in love, I'd be offended at your eagerness to get away," teased Renee.

Bella blushed slightly and had the grace to look chagrined. "I'm sorry. It's not that I don't enjoy your company but…."

"Hey, it's ok. I understand," laughed Renee. Then she sighed nostalgically. "I remember what it's like. Like every minute is endless when you're not together." She smiled gently and looked at Bella.

Bella nodded. "It does feel a bit that way."

Despite her eagerness to get home, Bella did feel a pang of sadness when she said goodbye to Renee and Phil. She promised that she would try and work out a weekend when both she and Edward could come back for a visit.

It wasn't until she had arrived at the airport that she learned that her flight was delayed due to bad weather in Seattle. She didn't know the extent of the inclement weather but guessed it was bad when two hours later they still hadn't boarded. Not wanting Edward to get to Seattle too early she had called him to tell him of the delay. He told her he was already on his way and that he would wait.

"I don't want to be stuck on the Peninsula if the roads are closed. I'll be waiting for you, no matter how long it takes you to get here," he informed her.

Poor Edward, she thought. He's been waiting for hours and now he'll be waiting even longer.

As warned, the flight got bumpier and bumpier as they flew in circles around Seattle. Bella gripped her armrests and couldn't help small gasps of fear when the plane bucked up and down. Her stomach felt like she was on a roller coaster, only worse. Children around her began crying, making the atmosphere in the plane even more tense. Bella was starting to seriously doubt that she would be landing in Seattle today.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking again. There is a small break in the weather and we will be attempting to land in Seattle. We only have one go at this and if I can't land the plane safely we will be diverting to Portland immediately. Let's hope that won't be necessary. Please ensure there are no loose items as this will be a bumpy landing due to crosswinds. Do not get out of your seats until instructed. Thank you."_

Bella closed her eyes, gripped the armrests and began saying a prayer and picturing Edward's face as she attempted to stay calm.

_Oh Edward, here we go_.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Edward got up from the uncomfortable seat and stretched, trying to work the kinks out of his body, acquired by spending hours on these seats while waiting for Bella's plane to land. With nothing else to do, Edward decided to walk over to the service counter and ask if there was any further news of Bella's flight.

Taking Alice's advice, Edward had set out early for the airport. The local broadcasters were warning of a severe weather storm that was due to come through the Pacific Northwest by mid-morning. There were predictions of heavy snowfalls and strong winds throughout the region which would most likely cut the roads from Seattle back to the Olympic Peninsula.

He had arrived at the airport with over three hours to wait and was dismayed to see that most flights were delayed. Edward hoped that Bella's plane would be able to land in these conditions. He could see snow ploughs busily trying to clear the runways, fighting the elements.

Four hours later, Edward was seriously doubting that he would be seeing Bella today. The first storm front came through as predicted and all flights were diverted. Dismayed, all Edward could do was watch the snow fall.

The airline's service counter was inundated with passengers asking about their flights and people wanting information on incoming flights. Edward felt sorry for the poor harassed workers, dealing with stressed, worried and angry people looking for someone to blame, despite nature being the only culprit. Unfortunately, they didn't have much information to pass on, only saying that each flight captain would be making the decision whether to attempt a landing based on the conditions at the time.

After getting something to eat and some reading material he decided to ring Alice and get an update on the roads near home.

"It's really coming down at the moment Edward," warned Alice. "I'm surprised we haven't lost power yet or phone coverage. The radio warned of trees coming down and that the roads are likely to be closed soon. I don't think you'll be getting back tonight, Edward. What's it like there? Has Bella arrived yet?"

"No, all flights are delayed and the airport's closed at the moment. I don't even know if Bella's plane will be able to land. It could get diverted. I'm hanging around until I know for sure what's happening.

"Ok. Take care and don't do anything silly," pleaded Alice.

"Don't worry, I won't," he reassured her.

The counter wasn't as hectic as before, probably due to the fact that there was a lull in the weather and a few planes were managing to takeoff and land. Deciding he'd get more results with charm, Edward gave the girl behind the counter his most dazzling smile.

Instantly, she sat up straighter, her hand unconsciously lifting to touch her hair. "H…Hi, can I help you?" she smiled back.

"I hope so..." he looked at her name tag. "Amanda." He saw her smile grow wider as he called her by name. "Do you have any information on Flight 631 from Jacksonville? Is it likely to be diverted?"

"Just let me call Operations and I'll see if they can tell me anything," she said, eager to please this gorgeous man. She wondered if he was single. Would he find it inappropriate if she asked him to dinner?

Edward waited patiently while she spoke to the person on the other end, her eyes continuously straying to him. She finally hung up and stood, coming around the counter. Standing a little more closely than he was comfortable with, he took a small step back, his smile not faltering.

"The operations manager just advised me that the Captain is going to attempt a landing within the next half hour. If he's unsuccessful, the plane will be diverting to Portland."

Edward smiled widely at her. "Thank you very much for that information Amanda. Let's cross our fingers that he'll be successful." Amanda just nodded. "I'll head back to the gate and wait."

"You're welcome. Um, would you like to go out for dinner one night?" she asked. Edward was slightly taken aback at her question. He couldn't imagine Bella being this forward.

"Ah… I'm sorry Amanda. I'm in a relationship already. She's on the plane," he replied, trying to let her down kindly.

Amanda smiled wryly at him. "Lucky girl. Still, if you change your mind…"

Edward gave a small nod of acknowledgement and turned to leave. He could feel her eyes on him as he walked away.

Twenty minutes later, all other thoughts fled as an announcement was made that Bella's flight was on final approach and was due to land in five minutes. He quickly checked with Alice who informed him that all roads home were closed.

Standing at the windows, looking into the fading light, he could see the lights of the approaching aircraft getting larger as it got closer to the ground. Snow was starting to fall again and he hoped Bella would be out soon so that they could leave the airport before the weather closed in again.

After what seemed an eternity, the plane taxied to the terminal and the relieved passengers were starting to emerge from the gate. Many looked quite pale and exhausted and Edward surmised that the flight had been pretty awful.

Finally, he spied Bella in the crowd, her eyes searching for him. When she spotted him, she gave a little cry, pushed past some of the other passengers and raced towards him. Edward gathered her into his arms, crushing her to him as their lips met. They kissed mindlessly, unheeding of other passengers forced to walk around them. Their relief at finally being reunited, after such a difficult day was enormous. When they broke apart, they stayed hugging each other, arms holding each other tightly.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," he murmured into her neck as he held her. "Thank god you've arrived safely."

He heard Bella sniff and he could feel her shaking. Leaning back, he saw her tear-filled eyes. "Hey, baby. It's ok. It's ok. You're safe now," he soothed, stroking her hair.

Bella nodded and leaned into his shoulder. Edward pulled her away from the crowd to a quieter area, where he continued stroking her back and hair, trying to ease her tension. Gradually, she calmed down. Edward used his finger to tilt her face up to look at him. "Feeling better?"

Bella nodded and wiped her eyes. "I'm…sorry Edward."

"Hey, what for? I'm just glad you're finally here."

"It was just so scary. It was so bumpy and I didn't know if we would land or not. The plane felt like it was on a rollercoaster and I was terrified we were going to crash when we landed." She could feel her throat close as she remembered the fear that she wouldn't see Edward ever again.

"Poor baby. I wish I was with you."

"I thought I might not see you again, Edward. That was the worst bit," she admitted, biting her bottom lip.

Edward's hands came up and cupped her face, his thumbs gently stroking her skin, wiping the odd, stray tear. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, you know. I love you too much to let you go."

Bella smiled and gave him another kiss. "I love you too, Edward. I've missed you so much."

"Me too. How about we get out of here while we still can," he suggested, picking up her bag but not letting her go. Bella wrapped her arm around his waist, leaning against him. After the strain of the flight, she felt so tired. She felt guilty as she knew she'd probably fall asleep as soon as she got in the car.

"Sounds good. I'm sick of airports and planes at the moment," she said with feeling.

Edward chuckled and dropped a quick kiss on her hair. "Bella, we won't be able to go home tonight. All the roads are closed off with snow and fallen trees. It was a pretty bad storm that came through and it's going to get bad again. Even if the roads were open, I'd have deep reservations about driving in that."

Bella nodded. "Ok, so we're going to have to stay here in Seattle?"

"Yes. I've rung around and I've managed to get us accommodation at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel for tonight. We may even have to stay a second night if the roads remain closed."

"What about work?"

"I rang Bernard and told him the situation and he's happy to cover for me. I'll return the favour when he needs it. You're off for a couple more days anyway, aren't you?" asked Edward.

"Yeah. I can't see the roads not being cleared by then, can you?"

Edward shrugged. "Come on, let's go. I don't want to be on the roads when the second storm hits." Walking quickly, Edward led her outside, the swirling wind taking Bella's breath away. Heads bowed, they half ran to the car, getting in quickly.

"Wow, that's bad," said Bella, wide eyed. "I'm thinking our pilot was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid."

Edward chuckled. "I'll go with the former. He got you here, didn't he?" He reached out and squeezed her hand briefly before giving all his concentration to the treacherous roads.

All the way to the hotel, the roads were littered with abandoned cars, heavily covered in snow. There were several accidents and they witnessed a couple of near misses as people didn't take enough care in the awful conditions. Both of them breathed a sigh of relief as they pulled into the hotel driveway.

Bella looked up at the grand entrance of the stately hotel. Grabbing Bella's bag as well as one of his own, he took her hand as he led her up into the shelter of the lobby. A valet came and offered to park the car for them. Handing over the keys, Edward led her to the reception desk.

Bella couldn't help looking around at the beautifully ornate lobby. The large room was scattered with sofa's and armchairs, grouped for casual conversation. At the end of the room, an ornate staircase led to the upper floors. The hotel resembled a southern plantation house in many ways. "This place is gorgeous, Edward," whispered Bella.

"It's five star, so I would expect it to be nice."

"Five star? That will cost a fortune, Edward. We could have gone somewhere less expensive," she said. "I'll help pay for it."

Edward turned and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Bella. You will do no such thing. And I didn't have much choice. Most places are full because of everyone who's stranded in the city. I have to say, I think we've done well. Let's just make the most of our enforced holiday. Ok?"

Looking into his beautiful green eyes, all thoughts of protest flew out of her head. He was looking at her so tenderly. How could she argue? "Ok. Spending the night in this place, with you, isn't exactly a hardship."

"No, I agree. Let's start enjoying it," he suggested, smiling at her enthusiastic nod. Leaning down, he gave her a quick but sensual kiss before going to check in.

They were on one of the upper floors and Bella couldn't help herself gaping slightly as she took in the opulence of the hotel. She'd never stayed anywhere so fancy and felt like she was going to get thrown out at any moment. This was the kind of place where you needed to be wearing designer clothing and immaculate makeup. Not jeans, sneakers and without a scrap of makeup.

"I feel like a total fraud in here," she whispered to Edward as they made their way to the lifts.

"Why, Bella?" he asked with a puzzled look.

"This place is so…fancy."

"It's just a hotel, Bella."

"I've never stayed anywhere like this. Look at me. I'm a mess. My hair's all over the place..."

"Bella, stop," he demanded, stopping them in their tracks. He cupped her face with one hand and leaned down as he spoke softly. "You…you are the most beautiful thing in this room. Nowhere is too good for you. Just because someone has more money doesn't make them better or worse. You, Bella, are an amazing person. Do you have any idea how much your patients admire you? How much I admire you? I watch you at work and I'm humbled that you've chosen me to love. Don't you dare put yourself down, Bella. Ever." He looked so sincere as he spoke that Bella was momentarily speechless. "This," waving his arm around, "is just superficial. For show. Like many people you'll find in these sorts of places. There's nothing superficial about you. That's why I love you so much."

Bella felt her eyes water at his words. Wordlessly, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly, burying her face in his chest. His arms enfolded her, embracing her in his warmth.

"Come on. Let's go up to our room. You must be exhausted," he suggested, taking her hand and leading her into the lift.

Bella yawned suddenly, as if prompted by his words. "Yeah, I am. I have to ring Dad though. I don't want him to worry."

Entering their room, Bella couldn't help staring. After the elegance of the rest of the hotel, she shouldn't have been surprised by their room, or rooms. It was beautifully furnished, looking both elegant and expensive. This room contained a number of armchairs and lounges, grouped around a gas fireplace. There was a small dining table as well a cabinet which held a large screen television. The sideboard was filled with a number of drinks and refreshments.

"Wow, this is beautiful," breathed Bella, looking around.

Edward agreed and walked into the bedroom, followed closely by Bella. This room was just as beautifully decorated. It was dominated by a huge four-poster bed which was covered in a number of cushions and pillows. This room had another gas fireplace. The room felt sinfully romantic.

"That bed looks way too inviting," murmured Edward.

Bella walked past him and threw herself onto the bed. "Oh, this is so comfortable. I don't think I'll want to get off."

Grinning, Edward threw himself down beside her. "I have no problem with that love," he said, his voice laced with desire.

Giving him a lingering kiss, Bella was tempted to just rip their clothes off right now but she really felt rumpled. "Hold that thought. I really want to freshen up after that endless flight."

"And you must be hungry, love. Why don't you go shower while I order room service?"

"Sounds great." She sat up and grimaced. "Damn, I don't have any clean clothes. I thought I'd be home today."

"A place like this will have a laundry service, love. I'll call reception. They can probably get your clothes back to you tomorrow morning. There should be bathrobes in the bathroom. You can wear that after your shower." With a glint in his eye, "You won't need to wear any clothes to bed," he said sexily.

Bella felt the flush of desire envelope her whole body. "No, I won't," she agreed. A raging storm outside, an elegant hotel suite, a soft, comfortable bed and a gorgeous man that loved her. Her day was certainly finishing on a high note.

"Go have your shower, love," he said, leading her to the bathroom. As per the rest of the suite, it was sumptuously decorated, dominated by marble and gold.

The room had a large spa bath. More than big enough for two, thought Bella wickedly. There was a basket full of toiletries for their enjoyment and sure enough, there were bathrobes next to a pile of towels. "This is great, Edward."

"Enjoy, my love. I'll have a look at the menu and order our dinner."

"I'll just ring Dad first, then I'll have a shower."

Checking her phone for the first time since she got on the plane in Jacksonville hours ago, Bella saw that she had a number of missed calls and messages. She recognised Charlie and Jacob's numbers. She rang Charlie first and reassured him that she was ok, that she was with Edward and that she would be stuck in Seattle until the roads were cleared. Once Charlie was okay with things, she rang Jacob, telling him the same thing.

Going into the bathroom, Bella was tempted to get into the spa bath, but resisted. She would prefer to get in there with Edward. In fact, she was determined to get Edward in there with her. She doubted he'd put up much of a fight. Instead she stepped into the steaming hot water of the shower. Bella closed her eyes in sheer enjoyment of having the warm water massage away the stress of the day. It took a while before Bella forced herself to finish the shower, using the designer shampoos and toiletries supplied by the hotel. When she finally finished, she wrapped herself in the soft bathrobe and padded out to the bedroom.

Edward was lying on the bed, his arms behind his head, eyes closed. Unable to help herself, Bella crawled onto the bed and leaned over him, nibbling on his lips. Edward lay passively for a few moments before pulling her down onto him, so that their bodies were flush against each other.

"Feel better?" he murmured against the skin of her cheek, moving along to her throat.

"Mmm, yeah. Much better," she breathed before bending her head and taking his earlobe into her mouth, enjoying the soft moan she felt, rather than heard, coming from him as she nibbled on it for a moment before moving on to faint stubble of his jaw.

Edward's hand moved down and cupped her bottom while the other caressed the soft skin of her throat, pushing aside the lapel of the bathrobe to slowly lick her skin, breathing in her scent. It was heaven to hold her in his arms again, to feel her skin against his own. His pulse was starting to race with excitement when she began rocking on him, signaling her own desire and need.

Moving his hand lower, he touched the skin of her upper thigh and was pushing the material up when there was a knock on the door.

"Damn, Bella. You make me forget everything," he murmured against her lips as he sat up, pulling her with him. "That's our dinner, love."

Pulling herself, and her bathrobe together, Bella stood up. "I was pretty hungry until you distracted me," she said cheekily, gathering her clothing. "I'll just ring reception about having our clothes laundered while you let room service in."

"I…distracted…you?" he grinned. "I was lying there minding my own business when you jumped me and began mauling me."

"I didn't realise you didn't like to be 'mauled'. I'll be sure not to do it again," she said, looking contrite.

Edward grabbed her and gave her a quick kiss. "Don't you dare. You can 'maul' me anytime." He threw her a wicked grin and went to let room service bring in their dinner.

While their dinner was laid out, Bella organised for their clothing to be laundered then went out into the other room, where the dining table was laid out with various food items, as well a bottle of wine.

"Mmm, looks good. What did you get?" she asked as Edward pulled out her chair for her and sat down himself.

"I got you a pasta boscaiola and myself veal in red wine sauce. I hope that's ok?"

"Perfect. You know I love Italian," she replied, eagerly taking a bite.

"Wine, love?" he asked, holding up the wine.

"Yes, please."

While they ate, Bella told him about her time with her mother. "She really wants to meet you and practically demanded that we go down to visit her."

"I'd like to meet her. We'll try and get down to Florida as soon as we can, love."

When they finished, Edward rang down to have the rest of their meal cleared away before deciding to have a shower himself before bed.

"Give me your clothes for the laundering service," said Bella, following him back to the bedroom.

Without a word, he stripped off his clothing, then with a sexy smile, walked into the bathroom.

Bella felt her breath hitch in her throat as she watched him undress, her throat suddenly dry. She was suddenly eternally grateful for the storm outside. Making love in this four-poster bed was going to be amazing.

Pulling on the bathrobe after his shower, Edward left the bathroom, eagerness for the night ahead in every pore. He couldn't have scripted things any better. The woman he loved, a romantic hotel suite, a four poster bed. What more could a man want?

As he entered the room, his eyes were instantly drawn to the woman lying amongst the cushions on the bed. As he got closer, he saw that she was fast asleep.

Smiling wryly, he gently stroked her hair. It had been a long day. Carefully, he turned down one side of the huge bed then untied the belt of her robe before gently pulling it off. She hardly stirred. Edward couldn't help the instant reaction of his body as he uncovered her body. He knew Bella had her insecurities about her body but to him, she was perfection. She fit against him like she was made for him. Perhaps she was, he mused. Perhaps they were fated to meet. Edward liked to think so.

Gently, so as not wake her, he placed her in the bed before disrobing and getting into the bed. He pulled her sleeping body close, needing to feel her against him. Telling his body to settle down, he eventually fell asleep.

o-o-o-o-o-o

The room was bathed in the faint eerie glow caused by the falling snow when Bella awoke. It was very early and she gradually became aware of feeling like she was in a wonderful cocoon. Edward was wrapped around her, one leg between hers, his arm around her waist. Bella looked up at the drapes surrounding the bed, adding to the effect.

She couldn't remember falling asleep. While Edward was in the shower, the hotel staff came to collect the remains of their meal and their clothes for laundering. Bella could feel her eyes drooping and decided to lie down to wait for him. That was last thing she remembered.

Bella smiled wryly at herself. What a waste of the most romantic bed she'd ever slept in. This bed was made for lovers and she had fallen asleep!

She moved slightly and Edward rolled onto his back in his sleep. Turning around, Bella watched him sleep. Lifting the bed covers, she saw that he was as naked as her. Licking her lips in anticipation, Bella decided she wasn't going to waste the rest of their stay.

With a feather light touch, she ran her fingertips over Edward's chest, feeling each bump and groove and worked her way down. She caressed his stomach muscles, like steel wrapped in velvet. Edward was still asleep but she could see his nipples tighten. Slowly, she pulled down the covers so she could see him fully. Although the room was warm, the change in temperature made his nipples pucker even more. Looking down, she could see that his body was responding to her touch, even in sleep.

Leaning on one arm, Bella reached over and softly ran her tongue over his nipple, loving the taste of him. She kissed her way down his torso, licking around his navel.

Edward gave a small groan in his sleep and his hips moved. Bella smiled when she saw that he was now fully erect. Unable to help herself, she gently took him in her hand and slowly stroked him, loving the velvety feel of him. Edward's breathing was getting more labored but he still didn't wake. In no hurry, Bella continued to stroke him, watching as he got harder under her ministrations. She squeezed her legs together in an attempt to ease the ache that was getting stronger.

Letting him go, Bella kneeled up and moved down the bed. Making herself comfortable, she caressed his legs and inner thighs. Unconsciously, Edward moved and spread his legs wider, giving her better access. Her hand moved up and cupped him, a stronger moan coming from his lips. Bella could see his eyes moving and surmised that Edward was probably dreaming.

Leaning down, she took him in her hand and slowly kissed the tip of his penis. Equally slowly, she licked all around his shaft before taking him fully into her mouth. Bella closed her eyes and began feasting on him, nibbling and sucking, swirling the tip with her tongue.

"Bella!" gasped Edward as he came to full consciousness. "God Bella, that feels….," he groaned, his hands digging into the mattress. "I thought I was dreaming."

Bella lifted her head and smiled up at him. "I'm making your dream come true," she said huskily, returning to her task.

"You always….do," he gasped. Bella had started moving up and down, taking him deep in her mouth. "Ahh..Bella." Her soft hair was tickling his stomach and legs, just like in his fantasy. Reaching down, he grabbed a fistful of her hair, stroking his stomach with it.

Enjoying herself immensely, Bella continued what she was doing, feeling herself getting wetter as she got more and more aroused. Seeing Edward completely at her mercy was a heady experience.

"Turn around love," pleaded Edward. Bella knew what he wanted. She maneuvered herself around so that Edward could pleasure her at the same time.

"Oh baby, you're lovely and wet for me, aren't you?" he crooned softly before pulling her down to his mouth.

Bella moaned as she felt his tongue teasing her sensitive nub. For a moment she forgot about what she was doing as his mouth and tongue teased and licked her.

"Do you like that?" he asked softly.

"Mmm," was all she could say, her mouth busy on him. When he inserted a couple of fingers into her, she let him go with a slight pop and groaned loudly, her hips moving from side to side as she sought relief from the tension he was creating.

"Ahh… Edward," she moaned as his fingers and lips combined, edging her closer to her release.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, tormenting her.

Bella's breathing was coming in short gasps. "Yes…yes…_oh God!"_ Edward removed his fingers and replaced them with his tongue, his hands moving down her body and taking her nipples between his fingers, rolling and pulling them gently.

"I missed you. So damn much," he gasped as she began moving frantically up and down his shaft. "Bella, stop. Please, baby," he pleaded, feeling himself lose control. "Do you want to come?"

Bella let him go and nodded, desperate for release. At her nod, Edward resumed pleasuring her, her moans getting louder. When he gently bit her nub, Bella cried out as she climaxed, Edward soothing her with his tongue as she rode it out.

When her body settled down, Bella wasn't surprised to realise that she still wanted him. She wanted him inside her. It had been nearly three days since she'd felt him move inside her and she desperately needed him again.

Turning around, Bella leaned down and kissed him hungrily, his member twitching against her leg. She could taste herself on his tongue which made her even more aroused. Their tongues and lips devoured each other, voracious in their need. Bella had moved to straddle him and she could feel his member brushing her backside, hot and throbbing.

"I love you," he murmured then leaned down and took her rigid nipple in his mouth, tugging it with his teeth. Bella threw her head back, her eyes closed.

Unable to wait a second longer to have him inside her, Bella reached down and took him in her hand. Edward let her breast go and Bella moved down to position herself over him. Looking into his eyes, she rubbed herself with his shaft, his heat nearly searing her, coating him in her juices.

"Oh baby," he groaned, squeezing her breasts. "Take me inside you. I need to feel you."

"I love you, baby," she said, before lifting herself up and lowering herself onto him, taking all of him inside her.

"_Fuck!"_ Bella stopped for a moment, looking down at Edward in astonishment. He _never_ swore. He was lost in his pleasure, his eyes closed and Bella wondered if he even realised what he'd said. Somehow, his loss of control turned her on even more and she began moving, slowly at first then faster as she ground herself on him, his hips bucking up to meet her movements.

"More, baby," he demanded breathlessly. "God you feel so good!"

"So.. do…you," she panted, clenching her internal muscles, eliciting a long moan from him.

There were no sounds other than their bodies moving together and their cries of pleasure as their bodies wound tighter and tighter.

Bella could feel herself on the verge of her climax. "Oh baby, I'm gonna come."

With a fierce look in his nearly black eyes, Edward flipped her onto her back and entered her again.

"Come baby. Come. I want to watch you," he said urgently, thrusting into her powerfully. "I love… to… watch… you… come," he gasped breathlessly.

With that, he pounded into her, their bodies literally shaking the bed. Bella wound her legs around his waist, bucking under him. "I love you," he mumbled, looking deep into her eyes.

His words pushed her over the edge. "Edward!" she screamed as she flew apart, her body literally shaking from the intensity of her orgasm. Every nerve ending tingled as wave after wave of pleasure surged through her.

Watching her go crazy in his arms, her walls clamping on him in waves was more than enough for Edward to lose any semblance of control. With a loud cry, he spilled himself into her, his climax seemingly never ending.

Collapsing onto her, he continued thrusting gently into her, wanting to prolong this mind-blowing experience for as long as possible.

Bella turned her head, her lips seeking his. They kissed lovingly, their breathing still labored, their bodies still joined.

Eventually, Edward rolled off her and pulled her into his arms. "Wow, Bella. That was amazing."

"Maybe I should go away more often," she teased.

His arms tightened around her. "No way. Next time, I'm coming with you."

"Ok. And yes, that was simply amazing."

Sleep overtook them and they slept for a couple of hours. Edward was the first to wake this time and got up quietly. Tip-toeing to the lounge, he looked out the window and saw the city blanketed in a thick blanket of snow. He dialed Alice's number.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Bella awoke when she felt Edward climb back into bed.

"Where'd you go?" she murmured sleepily.

Edward leaned down and kissed her softly. "I rang Alice to get news on the roads. Apparently, the snow is so thick that it's going to be a least another day before we can get back."

"Another day? What about work? I'm off today but tomorrow..."

"I rang the hospital and spoke to Bernard. I explained the situation. He's happy to cover for me. I also spoke to your supervisor and she said not to worry, they'll cope."

Bella sighed with relief.

"I've booked us in for another night."

Smiling widely, Bella leaned up and kissed him. "So we have a whole day and night here? What are we going to do with our time?" she asked cheekily.

Laughing softly, Edward held her tightly. "What indeed?"

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: Now I seriously considered having Bella's plane divert or Edward getting stuck in Forks but I couldn't help myself. I ended up writing out one of my fantasies instead.**

**Come on people! How many of you WOULDN'T want to be stranded in a romantic 5-star hotel with the gorgeous Edward Cullen? Or any of the Cullen boys for that matter? Hell, I'd be praying for the storm to never end! :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hi again. Thanks so much for your awesome reviews. Thanks to the new readers who put this on alerts.**

**It's Wednesday afternoon and I'm off to the midnight screening of New Moon in a few hours. YAY! We're watching 'Twilight' at 9.30pm first then 'New Moon' . By the next posting, hopefully heaps of you will have watched it too.**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 16

"Ok, thanks Alice."

The sound of Edward's voice roused Bella from her sleep. Rolling over, she nestled deeper into the pillow, the supremely comfortable bed making going back to sleep infinitely more desirable than waking.

It was Wednesday morning and they had spent the previous two nights in the hotel, unable to return to Forks while the roads were closed due to the storm that nearly caused Bella's plane to be diverted. Edward had woken, disentangled himself from Bella's arms and walked to the window. Amazingly, the sun was starting to peep through the clouds, heralding a brighter day than the previous two. He rang Alice to find out what the road situation was like closer to home. Turning around, Edward smiled affectionately when he saw Bella burrowed into the pillows.

The previous day and night had been like a beautiful idyll. A time out of time. With nothing to worry about except what they were going to do with their time, they had lost themselves in each other. When they weren't making love, they watched television, snuggled together. They ordered in their food as neither was bothered about getting dressed and going down the hotel's restaurant and bar. They had luxuriated in the huge spa bath for ages, Edward driving Bella insane with desire. At night, they lay in bed for ages, just talking about anything and everything. Bella admitted that a part of her wished that the snow never melt. Edward couldn't help but agree.

Unfortunately, their idyll was about to end. Lying next to Bella, Edward reached out and gently pushed her hair back from her face. Softly, he traced his finger over her lips, smiling when she kissed it sleepily. Reaching over, he gave her butterfly kisses all over her face where he could reach until she groaned and rolled onto her back, her arm around his neck.

"Mmm, much better than an alarm clock," she murmured sleepily.

Edward chuckled. "I'll be your alarm clock every morning if you want."

"Tempting."

"How tempting?"

"Way, way too tempting," she replied, as she rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?" she asked, sitting up against the pillows.

"It's just past nine o'clock," he replied, joining her. "I just spoke to Alice. She said the roads have been cleared. The sun's actually trying to make an appearance at the moment."

Bella smiled wryly. "That news should fill me with joy, but it doesn't," she admitted. "I've loved our time here."

Kissing her cheek and grabbing hold of her hand, Edward nodded in understanding. "I know. We have to leave our little love nest and head back to reality."

"Love nest," she mused. "That's exactly what this was. I'll miss it."

"Me too. But we can always come back. Why don't we stay here when we come down for the symphony? I can try and get this room, if you like," he suggested.

Bella gave him a delighted smile. "That's a great idea, Edward. I'd love nothing better than to come back."

"Done. I'll make the booking when we check out, just in case." They just looked at each other, a smile on their face. With one last, lingering kiss, Edward rolled off the bed. "We'd better get going, love. Even with the roads cleared, they'll probably still be slippery so I want to take it easy on the way back."

With a sigh, Bella agreed. It didn't take long to gather their meagre belongings. It was the first time they'd been dressed since they arrived. With one last look at their little slice of paradise, they went downstairs to check out. Whilst there, Edward enquired about the room's availability in April and to Bella's delight, it was free. Booking it on the spot, Edward then led them out to the car, which had been brought around by the valet.

As predicted, the roads were slippery so Edward took great care on the drive home. They didn't feel the need to talk much, a comfortable silence surrounding them. Both of them were lost in memories of the last two days.

Edward finally pulled up at Bella's apartment, carrying her bags upstairs. The apartment was cold from being left empty for the last four days, so Bella hurriedly turned on the heating.

"I'm going to go and get changed, love," said Edward, dropping her bag on the bed. "I'll probably call in to the hospital afterwards. I feel guilty about leaving Bernard carrying the load for the last couple of days."

Wrapping her arms around his waist, Bella leaned against his chest. "Ok. I'm going to do some washing then I'll see if Dad's home. Will you come back later?" she asked, looking up into his face.

Edward nodded. "Of course. I don't think I could stay away." Dropping a light kiss on her lips, he disentangled himself and headed for the door. "Take care on the roads, love."

"I will. I'll see you later." As Edward turned to leave, Bella called out. "Wait, Edward!"

He turned, his eyes questioning.

"I want to give you a key. In case you come back and I'm at Dad's. I don't want you waiting outside in the cold."

Edward looked at her closely, nodding slowly. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

Frowning, Bella looked confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just that giving me a key to your place is a serious step," he replied.

Reaching up, Bella ran her fingers through his hair. "We've spent most of our nights together since the Ball. I love you and I want you to feel like this is your home too."

Eyes shining, Edward leaned down and kissed her tenderly, softly rubbing his lips against hers. "Ah Bella. I love you so. I'm honoured you trust me so much." There was silence for a few moments as they lost themselves in each other, before Edward drew back. "I'd better go."

"See you later. Bring clothes for tomorrow. I've grown used to sleeping next to you," suggested Bella, speaking the truth.

"Ok." With one last kiss, Edward left the apartment.

Changing her clothes and putting a load on to wash, Bella decided to go and pick up some groceries then visit Charlie. Renee had given her a gift for him.

She was walking around the supermarket when her phone rang.

"Hey Bella. You back yet?" asked Jacob.

"Yeah, got back this morning."

"It was a bastard of a storm," he said. "I'm surprised you managed to land that day."

"Me too. I'm glad though. The last two days have been wonderful," sighed Bella.

Jacob chuckled. "You got it bad, don't you?"

"Oh yeah. You have no idea."

"Hey Bella, what are you and Edward doing for New Years?"

"Um, I'm not sure. We haven't really discussed it," she replied. "Why?"

"There's going to be a big party at the rez on New Year's Eve. They're planning a big bonfire, fireworks, heaps of food and drink. Why don't you come with Edward? I'll finally get to meet him," suggested Jacob.

Bella had been to parties on the Quileute reservation before and had a ball. "Sounds like fun, Jake. I'll have to check with Edward though, in case he's rostered on. Can I call you back and let you know?"

"Sure. Hope you can come, it'll be fun."

"I'm sure it will. I'll call you tonight. Edward's going to the hospital and I'm off to see Charlie but I'll talk to him about it tonight."

"Okey dokey. Better get back to work. This cold has played havoc with car engines. I'm flat out with repairs," he said wryly.

"Well, that's good, isn't it? You might have to look at putting on another mechanic at this rate."

"You're not wrong. Anyway, I'll hear from you tonight then?"

"Yeah. See you."

"Bye Bella."

Bella continued shopping, wondering what Edward would think of the invitation. She hoped he wasn't working that night.

Finishing her grocery shopping, she drove to Charlie's house. He wasn't home yet but she let herself in. Meandering around the house, Bella did a load of washing before cooking some dinners for Charlie. She was spooning it into various containers to be frozen when Charlie arrived home.

"Oh, hey Bels. Glad you got home safely," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, only got in this morning. The roads are still pretty slippery."

"Tell me about it. Been to three accidents this morning alone," he replied, taking off his police jacket.

"Bad ones?"

"No-one hurt luckily. Just more work for the local panel beaters. People just insist on driving as if the roads are dry," he muttered, shaking his head and gratefully accepting a cup of coffee. "So, how's Renee?"

Bella told him about her stay with Renee, giving Charlie the present she'd sent him. She told him about the return flight and the necessity of staying in Seattle.

"Well, if you have to be stuck somewhere, a five-star hotel is a pretty good option," commented Charlie with a faint smile.

"Sure beats sleeping in the car," grinned Bella.

Charlie told her about his Christmas day with Billy and Jacob and various other relatives. "Did Jacob tell you about New Year's?"

"Yeah, he called me earlier to invite me and Edward. You going?"

"I hope so. I have to speak to Edward first and hope he's not on call."

"Hope you both can make it. Should be fun."

A couple of hours later, Bella pulled up to her apartment, smiling when she saw Edward's car already there. Letting herself into her apartment, she could hear the television on. The sound was so homey and comforting. She'd forgotten what it was like not coming home to an empty house.

Walking into the lounge room, she called out, "Hi honey, I'm home."

Edward looked up and chuckled, holding his hand out to her. "Hello dear. How was your day?" he asked in a high pitched, girly voice as he pulled her onto his lap.

Bella giggled at his silliness and coiled her fingers into his hair, pulling his mouth down to hers. Several long minutes later, they pulled apart.

"How are things at the hospital?" asked Bella, laying back against his shoulder, his arms folded over her stomach.

"Fairly quiet. Of course there's no clinics so it's only labouring mothers and emergencies coming in."

"That's good. It makes me feel less guilty about missing work," replied Bella.

They were discussing what to do for dinner when Bella remembered Jacob's invitation. "Edward, are you working New Year's Eve?"

"No. Since I worked Christmas Day, I'm off duty at New Year's. Why? Do you want to do something?"

"Jacob's invited us to the Quileute reservation for New Year's Eve. They're having a big party and he'd love us to go. What do you think?" she asked.

Edward smiled down at her. "If that's what you want, of course I'll go with you. I've never been on a reservation and I'm intrigued."

"Great. It'll be fun. They having a huge bonfire and fireworks. Jacob's ringing later to see if we're going."

"So I'll finally get to meet the famous Jacob, then?" mused Edward. He still felt a pang of jealousy when he thought about Bella's past with Jacob, although he'd never admit it to Bella. It was something he had to deal with.

"Yeah. I'm sure you'll get on great." Edward didn't really reply, just hugged her tight.

The doorbell rang, startling them both. "Expecting someone?" asked Edward as Bella got off his lap. Bella shook her head as she walked to the front door. Looking through the peephole, she smiled widely.

"Alice! Jasper! What are you guys doing here?" grinned Bella, opening the door wide to let them in.

"Hi Bella. I missed you and convinced Jasper to drive me over. Hi Edward?" Alice called out to her brother who'd come out into the hall.

"Hi squirt. Jasper."

"Don't call me squirt!" complained Alice, ignoring everyone's chuckles. "We were going to get Chinese for dinner and wondered if you wanted to join us. We drove past your place, Edward, but there was no-one home and came to the logical conclusion that you were with Bella."

"Genius, Alice," mocked Edward, earning himself a punch in the arm.

Jasper grinned at Bella and leaned down to murmur in her ear. "Imagine growing up with these two?" Bella laughed.

"It's her fault," claimed Edward, ignoring Alice's squeal of indignation.

"Don't listen to a word he says, Bella. It's all lies. I'm starting to think you're not good enough for my best friend," said Alice loftily.

"Too late. You should have thought about that before you ruthlessly started matchmaking," replied Edward, taking Bella's hand. "Bella's mine now."

Bella looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Yours?" she teased.

Growling softly, Edward leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Mine. Only I can make you moan in pleasure the way you do." Under the guise of kissing her below the ear, his tongue marked his possession. Bella closed her eyes, a thrill of desire running through her. When she opened them, she was staring into Alice's delighted face and blushed.

The two couples went out for dinner at one of the local Chinese restaurants. Alice told them that her morning sickness had gone but now she found herself ravenous, eating everything in sight.

"I had such a hankering for sweet and sour pork tonight," she said. "That's why we're here."

Edward chuckled and shook his head in Jasper's direction. "Oh man, are you in trouble."

Jasper just looked at him, a quizzical expression on his face. "Why?"

"I can see you going out at all times of the night, looking for some obscure food because Alice is having a craving for it." The other's laughed at Jasper's stunned expression.

Bella took pity on Jasper and patted his hand. "Maybe she won't have too many cravings," she said sympathetically, even though she was giggling as well. "Hopefully nothing too bizarre."

"Bizarre? How bizarre?" asked a nervous Jasper.

"Well, I've had women tell me they've had cravings for tree bark. And weird combinations of food like cucumber and peanut butter," replied Bella.

"Tree bark? That's ridiculous. Please baby, don't start chewing the trees," pleaded Jasper.

The other three roared with laughter, Jasper's bewildered face not helping things. Alice reassured him that tree bark held no allure whatsoever. Yet.

The rest of the meal was spent coming up with the weirdest combinations and cravings they could think of.

o-o-o-o-o-o

As Edward had told her, things were pretty quiet at the hospital. It allowed Bella to spend a fair bit of time with Edward during the day, taking long lunches and spending time in the office. They did share the odd, clandestine kiss but generally tried to act professionally whilst at work. And they succeeded mostly. Until Friday afternoon.

Bella had spent most of the day tidying up the files, completing paperwork that tended to get neglected in the hustle and bustle of a normal, busy day. There were no new patients admitted and only a couple of new mothers on the ward. Most, understandably, had wanted to go home as soon as possible to spend the holidays with their families. Bella had spent a considerable time chatting with the women, holding the babies and killing time. Edward had wandered in and joined in the chatter, admiring the babies. When Bella had been called away, she'd passed the baby to him, their eyes meeting as they briefly held the baby together. Bella couldn't help the shiver raced through her as their hands touched, knowing he'd felt it. As she walked away, she could literally feel her body heavy with arousal. She tried to ignore it, without much success.

Sitting at the nurses' station while she took a call, she literally shifted in her seat, trying to ease the discomfort. When Edward came over, it just got worse. She saw Edward's eyes widen in surprise then darken with desire as he accurately read what she was feeling. _Dear __Lord, how long before we can leave?_ She thought desperately. Bella couldn't explain why she was feeling like this. This desperation to be with Edward, to feel him inside her. She felt like she had a fever, shivers rolling over her.

Under the guise of writing in his notes, Edward wrote an instruction and passed it Bella. Looking down, Bella felt herself almost go into meltdown as she read what he'd written.

**Meet me in 3****rd**** floor Archive room in 10 minutes. I love you.**

Heart beating wildly, she watched Edward walk towards his office. She told the other nurse that she was going to take her break now. Going to the bathroom to run some water on her flushed face, she made her way upstairs. With so many staff on leave she only ran into one person as she headed to the lift.

The third floor of the hospital contained most of the management offices as well as a number of filing rooms. The archive room was at the end of the hallway and held inactive files. Bella had only been here a couple of times. Turning the handle, she breathed a sigh of relief to find it wasn't locked. Before entering, she looked around to make sure no-one was watching but she needn't have worried. The floor was nearly deserted, the offices locked up and in darkness as their occupants enjoyed their Christmas/New Year break.

Bella stood in the dim light, not really knowing what to do as she waited for Edward. Her pulse was thundering as she thought of him and what was likely to happen when he arrived. Bella knew she should put a stop to this and force herself to wait until they were in the privacy of one of their homes but simply couldn't. This sudden, overwhelming compulsion was too strong to deny. She knew she'd be horrified if anyone every vaguely suspected what would be going on in this room but her need for Edward took precedence over everything.

At the sound of the handle turning, she turned and breathed a sigh of relief when Edward stepped into the room, locking the door behind him. Looking into his eyes, she saw the way they were burning for her and she couldn't help the small moan leaving her lips as she felt the gush of wetness between her legs.

"God, Bella," he murmured, taking her in his arms, his lips moving to her throat, his tongue swirling as he tasted her skin. "We shouldn't be doing this."

"I know," she moaned, her hands pulling at his shirt, desperate to feel his skin. "I can't help it. I need you so badly."

Edward's hands were roaming over her body, settling on her hips as he pulled her into him, letting her feel exactly how badly he needed her in return. Rocking his hips into her, he moved his head to take her lips, urging her to open her mouth. His tongue devoured her, his hunger evident in every pore of his body.

One hand had unbuttoned his shirt enough for Bella to put her hand inside while the other speared into his hair, thrusting herself against him, as close as she could. Pulling her shirt from her trousers, Edward squeezed his hands between them and closed over her breasts, squeezing and tugging on her cloth-covered nipples, before pushing the material out of the way so he could touch her skin.

Bella's head fell forward and she began suckling on the skin of his throat, her hips thrusting against his hardness, desperate for relief. Impatiently, she pulled at his tie and took it off before undoing the collar so she could taste more of his skin. Edward pulled his mouth from her throat and bent down to take one nipple in her mouth.

Mindless with desire, Bella's knees nearly buckled as he greedily sucked on her nipple, moving his mouth between the two. When Bella's hand moved down to cup his erection, Edward groaned against her skin. Bella began squeezing him through the material, loving his hot, panting breath against her.

"Open it," he urged. "I want your fingers around me."

Eagerly Bella complied, fumbling with his belt buckle before sliding the zipper down. Her hand reached inside his boxers and pulled out his engorged member, thrilled at how ready he was for her. Squeezing gently, her hand began moving over him, her thumb caressing the head, spreading the liquid that had gathered there.

"God Bella," he breathed. "What you do to me."

Bella felt, more than saw, when he turned and leaned her back against the wall. She was aching for him, almost beyond coherence. His mouth took hers savagely, lost in passion as his fingers nearly tore the button of her trousers in his haste to get them off her. Bella moved to help him, kicking off her shoes, allowing her to step out of her trousers. She groaned when Edward placed his rigid member between her legs, the soaked material of her pants the only barrier between them.

"Edward, touch me," she pleaded.

Heeding her plea, Edward's finger snaked under the material, feeling the soaked, swollen folds of her sex. Softly, he caressed her nub, swallowing Bella's moan. Her hips began bucking against his hand, her breathing ragged.

"Oh baby, you're so ready for me," he breathed against her lips. Bella only nodded. Without another word, Edward pulled her panties down and only waited for her to kick them away before he lifted her up, braced her against the wall and plunged into her.

Bella wanted to cry out in pleasure but a tiny portion of her brain reminded her that they were in the hospital and someone could walk past, unlikely though it was.

Edward gripped her thighs, his only thought to bring them both the ecstasy they both craved. Resting his forehead against hers, his eyes not leaving hers, he pulled out and plunged back in again. Bella's mouth opened on a silent moan, her legs tightening around his hips, trying to keep him buried inside her.

"More," she groaned, moving her hips as much as she could, the feel of him stretching her so deliciously nearly making her come right there.

"Yes," he muttered, moving his hips slowly, letting her feel every inch of him. He watched the flush of desire spread from her face down her body, her nipples pebbling even more as her skin displayed its rosy hue.

"Please Edward. God, I need you to move," she pleaded, grabbing hold of his hair to lick and suck at his lips. Her hips began moving in a rotating motion, his length hitting just the right spot inside her. She was so aroused, she knew it wouldn't take much to make her climax.

Nearing the brink himself, Edward started bucking his hips, thrusting into her scorching heat. Faster and faster his hips moved, her moisture coating his penis, the friction of their bodies driving them both wild. Their clandestine coupling, in this inappropriate place added a tinge of excitement for both of them, heightening their desire.

Her heart thumping furiously, Bella threw her head back against the wall, her body shaking from the force of Edward's thrusts. Small whimpers escaped her lips as the tension grew, the pleasure coiling from her groin, spreading through the rest of her. Edward's hands gripped her thighs so tightly it would have hurt if she could focus on anything other than where their bodies joined.

Edward pumped furiously into her, his soft grunts blowing in her ear. When his tongue ran over the rim of her ear, Bella lost it. Biting her lip to stop shouting, she couldn't help the long groan that left her mouth as she came, her orgasm ripping through her. Bucking wildly, she rode him as the pleasure slowly subsided. When she felt Edward twitch inside her, his growl near her ear signalling his climax as he pumped furiously, spilling himself inside her, Bella felt another smaller orgasm crash over her.

For what seemed like ages, they stayed like that, Edward still moving gently inside her as they recovered. Turning her head, their lips met, kissing softly as their pulses slowed.

Coming back to earth, Edward gently lowered her legs, massaging the spot where his hands had gripped her. He was still buried inside her, loath to leave her warmth.

"Oh God, Edward," she breathed, her eyes struggling to stay open. "I loved that."

Edward chuckled into her neck. "Boy, does that make going to work worth it."

Bella giggled. "I can't believe we've just had sex in a file room! At work! At our age!"

"Me neither. It's your fault. You seduced me," he teased.

"Me?" she cried in mock outrage. "Yeah, you're right. I don't know what came over me but I was suddenly craving you. I thought I'd explode before I could have you inside me, I wanted you so badly."

"I noticed. You had that look you get when you're aroused. I got hard instantly." With a gentle kiss, he pulled out of her.

Bella looked at him, still fully dressed except for his pants undone and his now-soft penis on show. By contrast, she was virtually naked, her shirt open, hanging off her shoulders and her bra pushed up over her breasts. She wore nothing but socks below her waist.

"We really shouldn't have done that," she said wryly, stooping to pick up her pants and stepping into them. "It's totally unprofessional."

Tilting her head up with his forefinger, Edward looked into her eyes. "I know, but I can't bring myself to regret it. It was amazing."

Bella's eyes softened at his words. "I know. Incredible. We can't do this again though."

Nodding, Edward helped her put her trousers on. "Once things get back to normal, it would be pretty impossible to do it in this room again. Too many people around."

Bella agreed. When they were fully dressed they got ready to leave the location of their secret tryst. Reaching up, she cupped Edward's cheek. "Thank you. I needed you so badly."

After a long, lingering kiss, Edward smiled wryly. "There's no need to thank me. I'd do anything for you. Especially make love to you when you want me. I love you. "

"And I love you. I still want you, but I'll force myself to wait until we get home," she informed him gruffly, delighting in the flare of his nostrils at her words.

"No working late today," he ordered. Bella nodded in complete agreement.

Edward left the room first, telling her to wait five minutes. When he'd gone, Bella looked at her watch and was surprised to learn that only twenty minutes had passed since she came into the room. She could have sworn their tryst had taken much longer. She stopped at the bathroom again, cleaning herself up and trying not to look like she'd just had sex.

It must have worked, because the other nurse didn't notice anything amiss about Bella's appearance at all.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"Any idea how many people will be there tonight?" asked Edward as he drove toward the Quileute reservation.

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "Loads of people. Generally, all the residents join in as well as people invited from town. A few hundred at a guess."

"Wow, that's a big party."

"All the families pitch in with food and drinks and I can guarantee that there'll be no shortage of food. There'll probably be heaps of dancing, both modern and traditional. It's usually great fun," she replied.

"Is Charlie going?"

"Yeah, of course."

Edward couldn't help feeling a bit nervous. He was inherently a reserved person, and being thrust into a throng of mostly strangers wasn't something he was comfortable with. He infinitely preferred smaller gatherings, but Bella had really been enthusiastic about going so he just couldn't put a downer on it. He hoped that there were other people he knew there tonight.

Looking at Edward's face, Bella could tell he was slightly tense. Reaching out, she put her hand on his thigh. "Nervous?"

He considered denying it but chose to be honest instead. "A little," he replied, turning his head and giving her a small smile. "I've never been comfortable amongst strangers."

"Really?" Edward always seemed so confident in any situation.

"Yes, really."

"There's really no need to be nervous. Everyone will be really welcoming, especially as Jacob's guests."

"Why especially?" he asked curiously.

"Because his father, Billy, is one of the leaders of the tribe. A chief of sorts, if you want to call it that."

"He's the chief's son?"

"Technically yes, but it's more a ceremonial title now. Otherwise, he's the same as the rest of us."

Edward nodded. Great, not only was Jacob intimately acquainted with Bella, albeit a long time ago, he was effectively royalty in Quileute society. _No reason to be jealous Edward_, he thought sarcastically.

With three straight days of sunshine since the storm the previous weekend, some of the snow had melted and it was now clear and cold. Perfect for a bonfire.

Bella directed Edward to where the party was being held and already cars were lined up everywhere, meaning Edward had to drive around before he found a spot. He opened her door for her before opening the boot. Bella reached in for the food she'd prepared to add to the rest of the buffet.

"Here, let me," he said, taking the platter from her.

Gratefully giving him the food, Bella curled her hand around his arm and led him towards the sound of music and people talking and laughing.

The party was being held in a large football playing field, with tarpaulins set up at one end. Bella headed for these as Edward saw that this was where the food was being set up. Several older Quileute women were busily arranging the various platters and organising cutlery and plates. They worked together harmoniously, obviously used to this size of gathering.

Once Bella delivered her platter, she took Edward's hand and led him out over the field, past numerous tables that had been set up, looking for Jacob. At the other end of the field, speakers were set up to pump out music and a large area was set aside for dancing. Halfway down the field, off to the side, a large bonfire was burning merrily away, with many excited children throwing more fuel into it, carefully supervised by the adults.

On the way, Bella was greeted by several people. She introduced Edward to everyone and there were a number of patients that came up to say hi, along with their infants.

Because of this, it was over half an hour after they arrived that Bella finally spotted Jacob. Excusing both herself and Edward, Bella hurried over before he disappeared into the crowd again.

"Jacob!" she called.

Jacob was standing talking to a group of young men, a beer in his hand and turned when he heard his name being called. A grin split his face as he saw Bella, followed closely by who he assumed to be Edward.

When Bella called out, Edward got his first glimpse of Jacob and every insecurity he had rose to the fore again. _Why couldn't Jacob be homely or at least not movie-star good looking?_ He thought wryly. He had to get over this stupid jealousy, for his and Bella's sake. She'd never given him any reason to doubt her and had been scrupulously honest about her past. It was just his territorial male hackles rising, he acknowledged.

"Hey Bella!" greeted Jacob, giving her a hug. "And you must be Edward?" he continued, holding out his hand.

Edward shook his hand and forced himself to smile. "Yes. Hi Jacob. It's good to finally meet you. Bella's told me a lot about you."

"Yeah? Well she never shuts up about you," laughed Jacob.

Edward felt himself relax slightly, pleased at hearing that. "Is that so?" he asked, looking at Bella who blushed at the teasing looks from both men.

"Thanks Jake," she grimaced. Edward's arm wrapped around her and he pulled her tight against him.

"No problem Bella," laughed Jake. "Hey, have you guys eaten? There's loads of food. Get yourself a drink Edward."

"Thanks, but I'm driving later, so I'll take it easy," replied Edward.

"Ok. There's some great non-alcoholic drinks around. Old Quileute recipes that you should try," urged Jacob. "Later, some of the older guys are going to start doing traditional dances to welcome in the New Year. Ever been to one of these before Edward?"

Edward shook his head. "No, can't say that I have so I'm really looking forward to watching the dancing."

"Good. Come on, let's get something to eat."

Surprisingly, Edward didn't take long to feel comfortable amongst the throng. He had to admit that Jacob seemed like a decent guy and he couldn't see anything in his manner that would suggest Bella was any more than a friend to him. On the contrary, he was heavily in demand by the young, single females and spent a large part of the night dancing.

He and Bella joined in, Edward holding her close as they swayed to the music. This took him back to the first night they'd made love and leaned down to whisper it in her ear. Bella kissed him lightly in acknowledgement.

When they weren't dancing they were chatting to a number of people who Bella knew. They met Charlie who was having a great time with Billy and several older men. They spoke for a while then kept on going. They ran into Leah Clearwater who greeted them warmly.

"Where's the little one?" asked Bella, looking around for Leah's baby.

"Oh he's with Jared's mother. She offered to watch the younger ones while the other two are running around somewhere here with their cousins." Looking at Edward, who was in conversation with Jared, Leah leaned close to Bella's ear. "So the rumours I heard about you and the sexy doctor were true then?"

Bella giggled and nodded her head.

"Good for you, girl. He certainly looks like a keeper."

Bella could only agree.

Horns suddenly sounded announcing that the traditional Quileute dances were about to start. Pulling Edward along, Bella found a spot where they could watch. There were several drummers lined up near the bonfire, their traditional buckskin drums heavily decorated. As one, they began pounding on them, the deep, heavy beat seeming to reverberate through Edward's body. It has almost hypnotic.

Then a large number of dancers moved out in front of the drummers. Edward watched in fascination as they began a rhythmic dance. There were clad in buckskin which was decorated with fur and feathers. The lead dancer was wearing headgear that looked like the head of a wolf.

"The wolf is the tribe's spirit guide," explained Bella when she saw where he was looking. Edward nodded in understanding.

Dance after dance, the tribesmen continued their traditional movements. Some slow, some feverishly fast. Several onlookers began dancing as well. Bella and Edward were urged to join in, both of them clumsily trying to learn the steps, laughing as they made mistake after mistake.

"I'm getting the hang of this," laughed Edward, twirling around as instructed.

Bella couldn't help laughing at the sight of Edward with his hands in the air, trying to follow the traditional steps, his face alight with enjoyment.

They were having so much fun that when the music died down in order to allow the partygoers to count the New Year in, they were surprised at how quickly the time had passed. Glasses of champagne and streamers were being passed around for the midnight toast.

"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!"

All around, people were kissing and hugging, glasses clinking, wishing one another a happy New Year. The sky lit up with a kaleidoscope of colour accompanied by poppers going off everywhere.

Amidst the cacophony, Edward pulled Bella close as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Happy New Year my love," smiled Edward tenderly. "May all your wishes come true."

"They already have, Edward," she whispered as she looked deeply into his eyes, letting him see the love she felt for him.

Lost in each other's eyes, their lips met, the kiss speaking more eloquently than words could, of their deep love for each other as the celebrations continued, unnoticed by either of them.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: Review and let me know what you think. New Moon, here I come!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: OMG, how good was New Moon? I loved it so much. All that eye candy was nearly too much for my blood pressure! **

**I hope all of you in the States had a great Thanksgiving. I wrote this chapter in 3 straight days of 40 degree heat (about 108 fahrenheit) which was ghastly. And it's not even summer yet!**

**Thanks to all of you who have been reading and following this story and especially everyone who's left a review. **

**Thanks to MrsKatyCullen for checking it for me.**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 17

The next few weeks passed by in a seemingly happy blur for Bella.

Life at the hospital returned to normal as did Bella and Edward's working life and there were no more secret assignations, although that didn't stop Bella thinking of the archive room with a certain fondness.

When they weren't working, they spent all their free time together. Although Edward kept his house, he spent most nights with Bella. Most of his clothes were hanging in her wardrobe, only going home on the odd occasion when Bella was on night shift.

As predicted, they were no longer the object of gossip around the hospital. Everyone was used to the sight of them arriving and leaving work together whenever possible. It was nothing unusual to see them together having lunch, holding hands.

Bella was really pleased when she ran into Carol Evans who had come in for her six week check up.

"Carol! Hi!" cried Bella, giving her a hug.

"Hi Bella. It's great to see you," replied Carol, returning the hug tightly.

"You're here for your check up, are you?" asked Bella.

"Yes, can you believe it?"

"Time flies, doesn't it?" said Bella. "And how's little Danielle?" she asked, looking into the pram at the rugged up baby. "Can I?" she asked Carol.

At Carol's nod, Bella picked up the infant and cradled her in her arms, stroking the soft skin of her cheek. Danielle stared up at her with her big blue eyes, and gave her a gummy smile.

"Hello gorgeous," cooed Bella. "My aren't you a pretty little girl?" Bella couldn't help feeling a special affection for Carol and her daughter. Danielle was the first baby she and Edward had helped deliver together, back when Bella didn't know why she got goosebumps in the presence of the new doctor.

"She's been smiling for the last couple of weeks," said Carol. "I cried when I saw her first one. One that _wasn't_ caused by gas," she chuckled.

"And how are you now, Carol?" asked Bella, unconsciously rocking the baby in her arms. "Things settling down?" Poor Carol had been suffering a severe case of the baby blues the last time Bella had seen her.

"Oh yes, I'm much better. Danielle and I have developed a sort of routine. Haven't we sweetie?" she asked her baby, getting a wide grin in return. "I took your advice and stopped worrying about the housework and accepted help when offered and it took a lot of stress off my shoulders. I'm getting the hang of this mothering business."

"Well, I'm really glad to hear that, Carol."

"Yeah well, it's still hard but I'm getting used to things. She still wakes a couple of times a night but we're getting quicker at feeding and settling her back to sleep. And I've learnt to sleep when she sleeps during the day."

"And how's the feeding going? Still breastfeeding?" asked Bella.

"Yeah I've persevered with that. I can finally feed her without gritting my teeth," laughed Carol. Then she looked at her little girl with such love that Bella felt like an intruder. "Despite everything, I wouldn't change a thing. She's the most precious thing in my world and I can't imagine my life without her now."

They were both looking at Danielle and didn't notice the footsteps behind them.

"Hello Mrs Evans." Both women were startled out of their introspection and turned to see a smiling Edward watching them.

"Oh, hello Doctor. Are you running the clinic today?" asked Carol.

"Sure am. Here for your final check up?" asked Edward. As Carol nodded, he gently ran his hand over Danielle's wispy hair. "Hello beautiful. Haven't you grown?" he cooed softly. Danielle reached up and took hold of his finger, gripping tightly.

"I see Danielle already knows how to hold on to a man," joked Bella, looking up into Edward's smiling eyes.

"Don't let Dave hear you say that," laughed Carol. "He's already said she's not allowed to start dating until she's at least 30."

"Well, if I had a little beauty like this for a daughter, I probably wouldn't let her date until she was 40 at least," agreed Edward with a chuckle. Straightening up, he gently disengaged his finger from the baby's grasp. "I'd better get going. I'll see you in the clinic, Mrs Evans. Call me when you're ready to leave, Bella. We'll stop and pick up some dinner on the way home."

With a final wave, Edward walked away, both women admiring the view. Carol turned her head, one eyebrow raised. "Dinner? Home? Are you and the gorgeous Dr Cullen...?"

Bella blushed and nodded. "Yes, we're together."

"Smart girl," said Carol admiringly. "That is a fine specimen of manhood."

Bella nodded. _You have no idea_. Placing Danielle back in the pram, Bella grabbed a notebook and wrote her phone number on it. "Here Carol. I'd love to catch up with you sometime. Give me a call and we'll try to arrange to get together for coffee or something."

Taking the page, Carol wrote her number, ripped it off and handed it to Bella. "I'd love that, Bella. I'll give you a call soon and we'll work something out." Giving each other a hug, Bella watched Carol go to her appointment with a smile.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"Nearly ready, love?" called out Edward.

"I'll be there in a minute," replied Bella from the bathroom.

It was mid February and they were getting ready to go to Carlisle and Esme's house to celebrate Carlisle's birthday. Bella was just finishing her makeup, brushing her hair for a final time and walking out to put her shoes on. Seeing as it was special occasion, Bella had made a special effort with her appearance.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said as she entered the lounge where Edward was watching the news headlines. He turned his head and gave a small groan.

"Bella!"

"What? What's the matter? Don't you like this dress?" asked Bella in confusion.

Edward stood up and placed his hands on her hips. "Baby, you don't know what this dress does to me." She was wearing the same deep red dress she'd worn to Alice's dinner party all those months ago. He pulled her hips close to his, letting her feel exactly what the dress did to him. "You drove me mad with wanting you that night at Alice's. You're so damn sexy in it." Leaning down her kissed her, his tongue tasting the spearmint flavour of her mouth. Pulling back but still touching his lips to hers, he whispered huskily. "How about a quickie?"

Bella felt herself grow languid at the suggestion and couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. "Edward, we can't. We've got to be there in twenty minutes."

Edward groaned in disappointment. "Aren't you tempted just a little bit?" he asked with an adorable pout.

"I'm tempted _a lot_," replied Bella, caressing his cheek. "How about you hold that thought and when we get back..."

"I'll probably fantasize about doing you on the table the whole time," he murmured, his hands cupping her breasts and squeezing.

Bella couldn't help leaning into him as his thumbs flicked her nipples. "Edward, please."

"Please what?" he teased.

"Please, can we go before we don't turn up at all? I could never face your father if we didn't show up for his birthday dinner because we were having sex," she told him, her eyes languorous.

Edward chuckled and removed his hands. "Okay, love. No more teasing. Let's go." Stepping back, he waited while Bella reapplied her lipstick, straightened her dress and picked up her bag.

"But I'm going to ravish you when we get back," he murmured as he kissed her throat when she walked past him out the door.

"You'd better," was all the reply he got.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Besides Carlisle's immediate family, a few members of the hospital board and their wives were at his house, along with a couple of friends from Esme's charity work. Bella recognized one of the women from the clinic a couple of weeks ago. She was due in about four weeks and was married to one of the town's prominent businessmen.

"Hello, Mrs Clark," greeted Edward as Esme introduced him and Bella. "I didn't realise you knew Esme and Carlisle."

"Please, call me Sophie. Yes, we've worked on a few charities in the last couple of years. I must say, I didn't realise you were related either," she replied before turning to Bella. "Are you two...?" she pointed between the two of them.

Edward nodded, his arm around Bella's waist. "Yes."

"Bella and Edward make a lovely couple, don't they Sophie?" smiled Esme, watching them both proudly.

"They certainly do." Sophie Clark absentmindedly rubbed her back.

"Why don't you come and sit down, Sophie. You shouldn't be standing for too long," urged Esme.

"Thanks, I will," Sophie replied wryly. "My feet have been swelling up a lot in the last few days. I can't wait to finally have this baby."

Edward frowned slightly as he looked at Sophie Clark's legs, noting that it looked like her feet were too big for her shoes.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked her.

Sophie nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. It's just that I've been working long hours at the business. I'm trying to get everything done before the baby comes. I'm just tired, I guess."

"Where do you work, Sophie?" asked Bella.

"At Clark Printing. Ron and I own it," she replied.

Bella recognized the name. The company did a lot of the printing work for local businesses, including the hospital. "You really should take it easy, Sophie."

"I know, I know. It's not easy hauling this stomach around all day," she smiled. As she reached up and rubbed her temple Bella noticed that her hands looked swollen too, her rings digging into her fingers. The nurse in Bella couldn't help the feeling of unease.

"When is your next check up?" asked Edward, obviously thinking the same thing as Bella.

"End of the week, why?"

"I think you should ring up on Monday and reschedule for earlier," said Edward.

"What for? I've got meetings most of the week," frowned Sophie.

"I'm worried that you may be developing pre-eclampsia, Sophie. You've got a couple of signs of it. I'd like to check your blood pressure as soon as possible," replied Edward.

"Surely not. Don't all women in late pregnancy get swollen?" asked Sophie.

"To some degree, but you seem more swollen than I'm comfortable seeing," replied Edward.

Sophie paled a bit at Edward's words and rubbed her temple again.

"Do you have a headache?" asked Bella.

"It's just a small one. Nothing serious. Alright, I'll try to reschedule my appointment," she agreed. "It depends on these meetings, though."

"Good. I'll alert the hospital and instruct them to fit you in. Your baby's more important than some meeting," he pointed out. "In the meantime, if you feel unwell, you need to go to the hospital straight away."

Sophie nodded before she was called away by her husband.

"I suspect that she's feeling worse than she's admitting," murmured Edward.

Bella nodded in agreement. "Me too. I hope she comes in as soon as possible. It really looks like she could be pre-eclamptic."

"I might have a word with her husband later and see if he can encourage her to slow down. Working so hard at this stage of her pregnancy isn't helping," said Edward.

"Good idea."

The doorbell announced Alice and Jasper's arrival. Alice exuberantly hugged her father as she wished him a happy birthday. Jasper gave him a much more subdued handshake.

"Hey guys! How are you?" she greeted them, wrapping an arm around both their necks and giving them a simultaneous hug.

Edward and Bella had no choice but to hug her back. "Hi, Alice."

Alice stepped back with a wide smile.

"Looks like you've swallowed a balloon, squirt," teased Edward.

Alice grinned and rubbed her belly. "Ha ha," she giggled sarcastically. "This 'balloon' is your future niece or nephew."

"Well, I think you look gorgeous," said Bella. And she did. She was just about mid-way through her pregnancy and was blooming. "I love that dress Alice. Did you design it?"

Alice nodded enthusiastically. "It's from my pregnancy range. It'll give me room to grow." Looking up adoringly at Jasper, she grinned. "Still think I'm having a big baby, Edward?"

"Well, you're a bit bigger than most women at your stage. And Jasper is quite tall, so it looks likely. We'll keep an eye on it though."

"Everything about Jasper is big," she said cheekily, bursting into laughter when her husband blushed furiously.

"Alice! Geez!" Jasper mumbled as he looked at his feet.

Bella felt sorry for him but couldn't stop the gurgles of laughter erupting.

"Come on Jasper. Let's get away from that she-devil and get a drink," encouraged Edward. "Bella, see if you can do something with her, okay?" he said, shaking his head at his unrepentant sister. The two men wandered off, leaving Bella and Alice alone.

"Alice, you shouldn't embarrass Jasper like that," Bella admonished, still giggling.

"I know, but I love teasing him, poor baby," replied Alice.

"You're looking really good Alice," remarked Bella as they sat down on one of the lounges. Around the room, people were talking and laughing.

"I feel fantastic. I seem to have all this energy."

"You are literally 'blooming'. Enjoy it. The second trimester's the best one. You're not too big to get around comfortably and you're over the morning sickness. Any cravings?"

Alice leaned closer. "Only for Jasper," she whispered, giggling at Bella's look of surprise. "I think I'm wearing him out. I'm so damned horny all the time, I virtually attack him as soon as I get home. I had him pleading for mercy the other night."

The vision of Jasper pleading for Alice not to ravish him had Bella in stitches. Alice joined in and they were soon the focus of attention. Calming down a little, Bella shook her head. "Oh God, Alice. I really feel sorry for Jasper."

"Me too!" giggled Alice. "Seriously though, is that normal? I mean, he always turns me on but lately it's like I've turned into a nymphomaniac. The smallest thing sets me off. He just has to look at me. Or he doesn't even have to be with me and I want him."

Bella placed her hand on Alice's. "Don't worry. It is normal. Your hormones are the culprits. Just enjoy it while you can. Tell Jasper to make the most of it, because he'll probably feel somewhat deprived after the baby comes," she joked.

"Mmm, suppose so. And to tell you the truth, Jasper's complaints are pretty half-hearted. I don't have to do much to coerce him into bed with me," grinned Alice.

"No, I'm sure you don't," agreed Bella.

They were joined by the men and by Carlisle.

"How's my little girl, today?" asked Carlisle, ruffling Alice's hair.

"Getting bigger, Dad," replied Alice, taking her father's hand.

It was during dinner that events took a turn for the worse. They were just finishing the main course and Edward was watching Sophie Clark with a worried eye. She kept rubbing her eyes and her temple, as if her headache was worse.

Trying not to draw attention to her, Edward asked quietly. "Are you okay? I'm worried about you. Is your headache worse?"

Sophie shook her head stubbornly. "No, I'm fine. I just need some sleep. I'll get Ron to take me home soon."

"I think you should get to the hospital. I'll go with you."

"Yes, I'll go too. Edward's right. You don't look well," concurred Bella.

"No...I….I…." Before their eyes, Sophie's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she lost consciousness and fell off her chair, her husband awkwardly catching her, preventing her from landing heavily on the floor.

"Call an ambulance!" yelled Edward as he and Bella rushed to her aid. The men laid her out on the floor, on her side.

To Bella's horror, Sophie began to convulse. "Oh God, Edward. She's having an eclamptic fit," she breathed.

Bella's suspicions of pre-eclampsia had been accurate and now it seemed to have quickly developed into full-blown eclampsia and both Sophie and her unborn baby's lives were in danger.

"I don't have any magnesium with me," muttered Edward, as they tried to ensure she didn't choke on her tongue. "Watch her, Bella. I'm ringing the hospital to tell them to have the theatre ready. Only delivery will save them now."

The other guests watched in horror as Edward, Carlisle and Bella tried their best to help Sophie. With a sigh of relief, the paramedics arrived within ten minutes. Edward said he'd ride in the ambulance and asked Bella to follow with Ron in his Volvo.

"Will she be okay?" mumbled Sophie's shocked husband as they followed the ambulance. "What's happening?"

"Sophie looks like she's developed eclampsia. It's extremely dangerous and I won't lie you, it could go either way," replied Bella. "She needs an emergency caesarian and even then, it'll be touch and go."

"Oh God!" cried Ron, his head in his hands. "What caused it?"

"She seems to have developed the condition fairly quickly as it wasn't detected at her last check up, it seems. It makes her blood pressure go so high that it's caused the convulsions. It can be brought on by stress and not enough rest during late pregnancy."

"I told her to slow down but she kept saying she needed to get everything sorted out before the baby came," he cried. "I should have just made her stop working."

Bella sighed. It was too late for recriminations now. "Has she been having headaches lately?"

"Yes. Every day. I thought it was from overwork. She complained earlier that she had spots in front of her eyes but dismissed it as nothing."

_Damn_, thought Bella. If only she'd gone to the hospital then, Sophie may not have worsened to this critical stage. Seeing spots meant her blood pressure was extremely high.

"What about the baby? Will it be alright?"

"I don't know. Unfortunately, pre-eclampsia prevents the placenta from getting sufficient blood to feed the baby. This means the baby doesn't receive the nutrients it needs and can be very small or in the worst cases, be brain damaged. It also causes the mother's organs to start failing and that's what the doctor's will be worried about. The only good thing is that we're getting to the hospital as fast as we can."

Ron began quietly crying next to her as Bella drove. Her heart went out to the poor man and she prayed that Edward would be able to save his wife and baby.

Sirens blaring, the ambulance pulled into Emergency and Edward was jumping out before the vehicle even came to a full stop. Bernard was there to escort Sophie to theatre as Edward ran inside to get changed.

As he changed and scrubbed, Edward was berating himself harshly. _Why didn't you make her go straight to the hospital? You suspected she was pre-eclamptic and you didn't do anything?_ As he raced to the operating theatre, he was determined not to lose either Sophie or her baby.

The room was busy when he entered it. The anaesthetist had sedated Sophie and Bernard was swabbing sterilizing solution on Sophie's belly in preparation for making the first incision. The paediatrician had arrived to take charge of the baby once it was delivered. Edward was praying that since her condition seemed to develop quickly, that the baby wasn't too badly affected by lack of blood to the placenta.

"Ready?" he asked Bernard, who nodded in agreement. Out of the corner of his eye, Edward saw Bella enter the room in scrubs and instantly felt calmer.

The anaesthetist had administered a large dosage of magnesium to control Sophie's convulsions, as well as drugs to lower Sophie's dangerously high blood pressure. Edward prayed that Sophie's major organs hadn't been too badly damaged. She would need brain scans later to check that she hadn't suffered a stroke.

Working as quickly as possible, Edward reached in and delivered a baby girl within five minutes. Unlike a healthy baby, she was limp and didn't make a sound. Edward rated her APGAR around 2, very poor indeed. The paediatrician and his staff immediately took charge of the baby while he and Bernard dealt with Sophie.

Half an hour later, Sophie was wheeled into Intensive Care where she would be closely monitored. Her blood pressure was still dangerously high and she was on a number of intravenous drugs in an attempt to ease the symptoms. Her body was severely bloated due to the build up of fluids in her body.

Edward was washing up when he felt Bella's arm around his waist. She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You okay?" she asked gently, kneading his shoulder in support.

"I don't know," he replied honestly. His emotions were chaotic at the moment, guilt the strongest one. "I want to see how the baby's doing."

Nodding, Bella led him out and walked with him to the Special Care Nursery, holding his hand tightly.

"How is she, Doug?" he asked the paediatrician, who was writing down his case notes.

"I think she'll be okay. She's quite lethargic but she's not too small, so I'm thinking her mother's symptoms developed very quickly and didn't have enough time to affect her too severely. We'll keep her here until we're satisfied. Probably a week or two, depending on how she goes. How's mom?" asked Doug.

Edward sighed. "Still in a bad way. And I think you're right about the speed of the onset of the eclampsia. She had her last check up a couple of weeks ago and there were no real warning signs then according to Bernard. She's on a mixture of hydrochlorothiazide, propanolol and benazepril at the moment in an attempt to get her blood pressure down. She'll go for brain scans tomorrow."

"Let's hope she's okay," said Doug. "Where's the father? I'd like to speak with him and have him come in to see the baby if he's able to."

"He's with his wife in Intensive Care," replied Edward.

They left the nursery and walked back to the theatre. "I'm going to change and we'll go home, okay?"

"I'll wait here."

Bella took his hand when he re-emerged and they walked silently to the car. Bella looked at him as he drove home, his face tight. She knew he was blaming himself.

"Would you like a drink?" she asked as he dropped wearily onto the couch. Edward just nodded. Handing him a scotch with ice, she sat down next to him and took hold of his free hand.

"It's not your fault, you know," she said gently.

Edward sighed deeply and squeezed his eyes shut briefly. "I should have insisted she go to hospital as soon as I saw her."

"I was there too. I could have said something as well."

"I'm a doctor. An obstetrician. I saw the signs instantly," he pointed out.

"Neither of us knew how sick she was. We didn't have any equipment to take her blood pressure. She played down how badly she was feeling. Yes, I guessed she had pre-eclampsia but I would not have guessed how badly. You're not a mind-reader, Edward."

"But if she'd gone to hospital earlier …"

Bella took his chin in her hand and turned his head so she could look directly at him. "Edward. Listen to me. _It's. Not. Your. Fault_. Bernard himself said there were no signs at her last check up but you know that we give women in late term pregnancies warnings about what to look for at every check up. Sophie chose to ignore them. You heard what she said about working so hard. She must have been feeling poorly for the last few days and still didn't go to the hospital." Lifting his hand up, she kissed it tenderly. "We can only do so much Edward. She's a grown woman, she knew the facts, so she must bear most of the responsibility for what happened to her. We only saw her for a couple of hours tonight. Stop feeling guilty."

Edward looked at her and saw the love and belief she had in him. "I love you so much, Bella." His head descended as he covered her lips with his, gratitude for her support filling him. His hand cupped the side of her head, his thumb stroking her cheek as he rubbed his lips over hers, before taking her bottom lip between his and gently sucking on it.

Bella knew he needed comfort tonight as she wound her arms around him, holding him tightly. She knew he felt keenly for his patients, let things affect him more than he should at times but it was part of why she loved him so much. And why he was a good doctor. And why his patients loved him. Bella was determined to give him all the love and comfort he needed tonight, hoping she could ease the ache.

"Come to bed," she whispered. Edward nodded and allowed her to lead him to the bedroom where she undressed him, kissing and caressing his skin as she uncovered it. By the time he was naked, Edward was literally shaking with desire. He stripped her of her clothes with a lot less finesse than he was used to but he couldn't help himself. He needed to lose himself in her tonight, needed her to help him erase the guilt he felt. He slowly lowered her onto the bed, covering her body with his.

"I'm sorry baby, but I've got to be inside you," he muttered. He wanted to pleasure her first but he needed this like he needed air. "I'm sorry," he groaned, as he placed himself at her entrance.

Bella stroked his hair back, his need for her making her so aroused that she was more than ready for him. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she moaned into his mouth as she urged him on. "It's okay. I need you too. Please."

With a long, low moan, Edward slid home and buried himself inside her, his heart instantly feeling lighter. With her arms and legs wrapped around him, he felt enveloped in her love. Safe. Secure. _Home_.

Kissing her deeply, he slowly began to move, swallowing her whimpers of pleasure that drove him wild.

"Faster!" she pleaded.

Wanting nothing more than to please this incredible woman, he obeyed instantly, her cries of pleasure filling the room. Burying his face in her neck, he drove himself into her like a man possessed, grunting softly with each thrust. Their bodies glided easily over each other as they became covered in a sheen of sweat.

"Oh God, Edward …._I…love…you!_" cried Bella as her body was flooded with pleasure, holding him as if her life depended on it, as she rode out wave after wave of sensation.

Her cries of pleasure, the tightness with which she clung to him and her pulsing warmth was enough to send Edward crashing over the edge, his hoarse cry echoing around the room.

As they came back down to earth, they lay panting, arms wrapped tightly around each other, neither wanting to break the connection that bound them so tightly.

Edward had never felt so close to anyone before. Never felt so loved. So cared for.

Reluctantly, he lifted his head and gazed down at her slumberous eyes. "I love you."

He kissed her gently, feeling overwhelmed. His next words came straight from his heart, bypassing his brain altogether.

"Marry me, Bella."

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: If you haven't seen the movie, turn away now.**

**I didn't intend to have the chapter go this way but it seemed to almost write itself at the end. I took that line direct from the movie.**

**Let me know what you think.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thanks so much to all of you who've been reading, especially those who have reviewed. I've loved reading them and I've been touched by many of them. They truly make writing this worthwhile. **

**Thanks to MrsKatyCullen for betaing this for me.**

**Now I'll shut up because I know you've been waiting for Bella's answer.**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 18

"_Marry me, Bella."_

Edward looked down into Bella's stunned face as his words seemed to echo around the room. The words had just burst forth from his mouth with seemingly no input from his brain. He felt as surprised as Bella looked. As the seconds ticked by though, his brain caught up and he realised the enormity of what he'd said.

He'd proposed to Bella. Asked her to be his wife.

The silence was deafening. Although it had been only seconds since the words had left his mouth, it seemed like minutes. Minutes in which Bella still hadn't said anything.

Rolling off her, Edward lay back on his pillow as he processed what had just happened. Was it just post-coital euphoria? Or did his heart just make him blurt out what he had unconsciously wanted anyway? As the seconds ticked by, the implications of his words took hold and Edward felt himself get more and more excited.

He turned his head to look at Bella, who wasn't looking at him. _Yes! Yes! Yes!_ This _was_ what he wanted. He wanted to marry Bella. Wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Hopefully have a family with her someday.

"Bella?"

Bella turned her head to look at him. She didn't know what to think. Had he meant it?

"Bella? Will you marry me?"

She sighed softly. "Edward, you don't have to do this. I know you didn't really mean it. It was just your orgasmic high. It's okay. I'm not about to hold you to it."

Bella sat up and got out of bed, putting on Edward's shirt before sitting back down. Edward put on his boxers, sat down and took Bella's hand.

"Bella, I meant every word, baby. I want to marry you," he insisted.

"No you don't Edward," replied Bella. "You're still feeling guilty about Sophie Clark. It has been a stressful evening. Stress makes us say things we don't mean sometimes."

"No! Okay, maybe I didn't plan to ask you tonight but I _was_ going to ask you eventually. You know I was. And this has nothing to do with what happened tonight. It just has everything to do with the fact that I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Edward, you looked horrified when the words came out. I know, I saw it. I couldn't miss it as your face was so close to mine. I won't be upset, I promise."

"I wasn't horrified. I was surprised. My heart basically did what my subconscious wanted to do, without any input from my brain. But the instant the words came out, I realised that this is what I want. Please Bella, say you'll marry me," he pleaded, leaning forward and kissing her softly, his tongue tracing her bottom lip.

Bella could feel herself weakening. He only had to touch her and she was putty in his hands. But this was too important to be seduced into agreeing to something she wasn't sure he truly meant. Pulling back, Bella got up and stood looking down at his worried face.

"Edward, you know I love you but I don't want you to regret this tomorrow."

"I could never regret asking you to marry me. I love you, Bella."

Bella smiled. "I know you do. But marriage is a big step and it's not something that should be decided on when neither of us is thinking straight. I mean, don't you think it's too soon? We've only been together a few months."

Edward got out of bed and stood in front of her with his hands on her shoulders. "Don't you want to marry me?" he asked softly, his heart thumping in fear.

Reaching up, she cupped his face with both hands. "Oh Edward. It's not that. I'm just not convinced that the heightened emotions of today didn't have a part in it. I love you too much to hold you to something that you said in the spur of the moment. It would kill me if you realised tomorrow, or next week or in the next month that you regretted it or had changed your mind."

Edward shook his head. "I'm not going to change my mind, Bella. And no, I don't think it's too soon. I know that I won't ever want anyone else but you. You're it for me, Bella. I knew it after our first date." Bella could see the sincerity in his eyes.

Kissing him softly, she rested her nose against his. "And I don't want anyone but you either. How about we sleep on it, hmm? To make sure that you still feel the same in the light of day."

Edward nodded and kissed her again. She wasn't saying no. She wasn't saying yes either, though. "I'm going to ask you again, Bella. And I'm going to keep asking until you say yes," he warned her.

"Okay. I'll look forward to it. Let's go to bed."

Lying in bed, his arms wrapped around her, his voice whispered in the dark. "I _will_ get you say yes."

Bella smiled into his chest and answered sleepily. "Probably."

o-o-o-o-o-o

Trying to be as quiet as possible, Edward got dressed. Bella was lying on her stomach, her mouth slightly opened as she breathed deeply in her sleep. When he was ready to leave, he knelt down beside the bed and kissed her cheek.

"Bella?" he whispered, not wanting to startle her. It was Sunday morning after all and she deserved a sleep in.

She stirred as Edward brushed her hair back and gave her another kiss. "Hmm?" she groaned sleepily.

"Sorry to wake you, love, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to the hospital," he whispered as he stroked her cheek.

"Going to check on Sophie Clark?" she asked huskily.

"Yes. I want to be there if they do the scan today. I might be a while."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Edward smiled down at her sleepy face. "No, love. You go back to sleep. I'll see you when I get back." He kissed her soft, warm lips. "Love you."

"Love you too. I hope she's improving."

"Me too, love. Me too."

As Edward drove to the hospital, his mind turned to last night's events. More specifically, about what he'd said after making love. Now, in the clear light of day, Edward got more and more angry with himself.

_What kind of idiot asks the woman he loves to marry her straight after sex? _He thought with dismay. No wonder Bella didn't say yes. As if she could take him seriously?

Edward imagined Bella being asked on how he had popped the question. _"Oh, Edward proposed after we had sex."_ Arghh!

And now he knew he desperately wanted to marry Bella. He didn't care if they'd only been together a few months. She was the love of his life. And she deserved more than to be proposed to with a couple of blurted out words immediately after he'd climaxed. He was lucky she hadn't thrown him out.

He was definitely going to make a better fist of his next proposal.

Walking into the hospital, his mind turned to the matter at hand. Although he didn't feel the guilt he'd been feeling over Sophie Clark last night, he still felt a certain responsibility for her and he knew he couldn't rest until he checked out her condition.

He entered the Intensive Care ward and crossed to Sophie's bed. Ron wasn't there although there was evidence of his having spent the night next to his wife. A nurse was taking down Sophie's readings as he got there.

Edward could see that she was still grossly swollen. One of the drugs she was being administered was a diuretic in an attempt to reduce her fluid levels. The excess fluid was placing pressure on her heart and other organs and had to be reduced as soon as possible. That would, in turn, hopefully lower her blood pressure. What longer term effects she suffered, only time would tell.

"How is she?" he asked the nurse.

"She seems to be stabilising. Her blood pressure peaked during the night, and her dosages were upped which brought it back down a bit. It's been stable for the last few hours."

"What about the ketone levels?" These were the levels of protein in her urine, high levels of which signified that she was breaking down fatty acids in her body too rapidly.

"Those have lowered slightly."

Edward nodded. "Do you know if they are going to do a scan this morning?"

"As far as I know, the doctor is waiting for the radiographer to come in," answered the nurse.

"Where is Dr Singh?" asked Edward, referring to the head of Intensive Care.

"He's just taking a break. He should be back in a few minutes. Do you want me to contact him?"

"No, it's fine. I'll wait for him here. Is Mr. Clark still here?"

The nurse nodded. "I believe he's gone up to the nursery. He's been here all night. I believe some family members are on their way."

The nurse excused herself and continued on her rounds. Edward double checked all the IV lines and began reading her notes to see for himself what had happened during the night.

Dr Singh arrived and went straight over to Edward.

"I hear you were on hand when she collapsed," stated Dr Singh as the two men shook hands.

"Yes. She was at my father's house. I noticed that she was very swollen and was rubbing her head. I tried to convince her to come in but she kept denying she felt as bad as I know now she must have been feeling."

Edward was updated on Sophie's condition. "Will she be having a scan today? I really want to rule out any strokes."

"I'd like her to stay stabilised for a couple more hours before we move her," replied Dr Singh. "What, if any, long term effects do you think she'll have?"

Edward could only shrug his shoulders. "I really don't know. On one hand, I'm hoping the quick onset of the eclampsia means that it didn't have enough time to do too much damage to her organs but on the other hand, it could have the opposite effect and do a hell of a lot of damage."

"We'll find out more in the coming days, I suppose."

Seeing as how Sophie wouldn't be moving in the next couple of hours, Edward decided to go and do some work in his office, stopping by the special care nursery on the way.

Ron Clark was sitting next the humidicrib that held his daughter, various tubes and wires protruding from her tiny body. The man looked haggard and pale, his eyes red-rimmed from tiredness and tears. He turned as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hello Mr. Clark. How are you holding up?" asked Edward sympathetically.

"Please, call me Ron." With a deep sigh, he rubbed his eyes. "Holding on, I guess. Did you look in on Sophie?"

"Yes I did. I see she's stabilising, which is good."

"Do you think she'll make it?" asked Ron, his eyes pleading. "I don't know what I'd do if she didn't," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion.

"I think she's got a good chance. We're doing everything possible for her. We don't know what, if any, lasting effects this may have on her, though."

"What kind of effects are you talking about?" asked Ron.

"Eclampsia can seriously damage vital organs. The main dangers are to her kidneys, liver and heart. Also, if she's suffered a stroke, there could be brain damage. Other effects can be eye damage."

"Oh God," cried Ron, his head lowering.

Edward squeezed the other man's shoulder. "We may be lucky and she'll have suffered no lasting effects. We won't know until she's had a scan and she's woken up. You need to stay positive, for her sake."

Ron nodded half-heartedly. "I suppose so."

"Do you have any family for support?"

"My parents are driving up from Seattle and Sophie's parents and sister are coming from Nevada."

"Good. You need loved ones around you at this difficult time. And how's your daughter?" asked Edward, looking at the tiny girl. Her colour had improved from when he delivered her.

"Doctor says she's got a good chance. She'll probably be here a week or two."

"That's good. Does she have a name?"

"No. Soph and I had a couple of choices but I'm waiting until we can decide together."

Edward nodded in understanding. "Why don't you go home and get a couple of hours sleep? We're taking Sophie for a scan in couple of hours. I doubt she'll be waking up today."

"Maybe. I'll see."

Wishing him the best, Edward went back to his office where he did paperwork until he was advised that the scans were going to commence.

It was nearly three in the afternoon before Edward emerged from the hospital. Instead of going straight back to Bella's apartment, he had a couple of stops to make first.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Bella had stayed in bed until late and had decided to thoroughly clean the apartment once she was dressed. It had been a while since she'd given it a good clean. While she worked, she thought about Edward's proposal the night before.

She had been shocked when Edward had uttered the words. Marriage had never been mentioned by either of them yet. They were simply enjoying what they had for the moment. Bella didn't doubt that Edward would propose one day, she just hadn't expected it so soon.

And she couldn't deny that her first instinct was to say yes. It had been on the tip of her tongue to say it until she saw the look of astonishment on his face. In that instant she'd realised that he hadn't meant to say it; not consciously, anyway.

She'd also known that she couldn't agree to marry him. Not then. Not when they hadn't come down from their lovemaking. And the fact that he'd been so upset about Sophie Clark didn't help matters. He was too emotional to be thinking straight. Bella simply couldn't bring herself to take advantage of that.

Like she'd told him, she would want to shrivel up and die if he changed his mind when he realised what he'd done. She didn't think she'd survive such hurt. No; it was better to say no now and wait until he was really ready to propose.

Bella recalled his threat to keep asking her to marry him until she agreed. She wondered when the first proposal would happen. She didn't plan to leave him hanging; when she was sure it was what he wanted, she would say yes.

The ringing phone drew her thoughts away from last night's events. Bella expected it to be Edward, letting her know he was held up at the hospital and was surprised to hear Alice's chirpy voice on the other end.

"Hi, Alice. You okay?"

"Sure I am. I'm ringing to find out how poor Sophie is? That was terrifying to watch," exclaimed Alice.

"I know, it's awful to see. Luckily, few pre-eclampsia cases progress to that stage."

"Are she and her baby okay?"

"Sophie's in a pretty bad way. Edward delivered a baby girl but she was in a poor state at birth. The paediatrician thinks she'll be fine but of course it won't be known if she suffered any sort of brain damage until she starts developing."

"Oh, the poor little thing. I hope she's okay."

"Me too. It's Sophie that Edward's worried about. She's in intensive care. Edward's gone in today to see her. I think they're going to do scans to see if she had a stroke or not. And they're worried about organ damage," replied Bella.

"Oh God, that's awful!"

"Yeah, it is. So don't you dare ignore the signs, Alice, or you'll have me to deal with!" warned Bella sternly.

"No, no. I promise I'd let you or Edward know if I was worried. Especially now that I've seen what can happen. I think Jasper would have me in hospital if I so much as had a headache!"

"Better safe than sorry, Alice."

"Yeah. What are her chances, Bella?" asked Alice.

Bella sighed. "I don't know. Maybe Edward will have a better idea today. They're doing all they can."

Neither of them said anything for a few moments, thinking about the poor woman and her baby.

"I'll let Mom know. She was pretty upset last night."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't pretty to see."

Reiterating Alice's need to look after herself and to heed her body's warning signals, they hung up.

It was nearing 5 o'clock and Bella was just beginning to get dinner started when Edward came home. She was chopping vegetables when she felt Edward's arms encircle her waist, tilting her head to enable him to kiss the hollow of her throat.

"Mmm, hello."

"Hello, love," he replied against her skin.

She put down the knife and turned within the circle of his arms, taking hold of his shoulders as their lips met, brushing against each other sensually. Before things got too heated, Bella leaned back against the kitchen counter.

"How's Sophie?"

Edward let her go and sat down at the table. "We did the scans and it doesn't look like she suffered a stroke although there were a couple of spots of bleeding in the brain. They don't look too big though, which is lucky."

Sitting next to him, Bella handed him a cup of coffee and took hold of Edward's hand while he recounted the day's events.

"Her blood pressure's been stabilised and we're slowly getting it back down to an acceptable level. Bernard and I are worried about her kidney function though. With any luck, once the rest of her symptoms are taken care of, they'll go back to normal. We're keeping her in an induced coma for the next couple of days."

Bella nodded in understanding. "And the baby?"

"She's on a ventilator to help out her little lungs but Doug's fairly sure she'll pull through okay. She just needs to grow a little bit."

Edward ran a tired hand over his hair, dishevelling it even more than normal.

Running a hand over his brow, Bella leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You look beat. Why don't you go and have a nap while I get dinner ready?"

"I think I might. God, I hope we don't see another case like this for a long time," he sighed wearily.

"Me too. I know it scared Alice silly."

"Good."

With another light kiss, Edward went into the bedroom and slept for the next two hours.

o-o-o-o-o-o

The Monday clinic was on in ten minutes and Bella was preparing her equipment and checking her supplies in readiness. She was working with Edward today. As she worked, her thoughts strayed to the weird weekend they'd had. Life-threatening emergencies, proposals. Not your ordinary weekend.

Proposals.

There had been no repeat of Edward's proposal. Bella couldn't help the twinge of disappointment that Edward's silence caused and a part of her wished she'd said yes to him. The other part told her that she'd been right not to accept in those circumstances.

Admittedly, Edward had been exhausted last night, and after dinner they'd curled up together on the lounge for a while before going to bed.

Bella had been expecting a repeat of his proposal at least once during the night, but it didn't come. Despite his protestations, Edward had obviously had second thoughts about proposing.

She had to admit to herself that it was more than a twinge of disappointment. It was more like full-blown disappointment.

"Ready for the first patient, love?" asked Edward.

Bella nodded and called in the first patient. She put aside her disappointment and went to work. There were more patients than usual and Bella worked steadily for the next hour, helping Edward out with a couple of ultrasounds.

Towards the end of the clinic, a patient came in that Bella hadn't seen before even though she looked to be at least seven months pregnant. Looking down at the patient records, she saw that her name was Victoria Brennan and she was thirty weeks pregnant. Her address was listed as a trailer park on the outskirts of town.

"Good morning, Victoria. Is this your first visit here?" asked Bella, shaking her hand and getting her to sit down in order to get a history.

"Yes. We only moved to the area a couple of weeks ago. My boyfriend managed to get a job as a carpenter here." Further questioning revealed that Victoria and her boyfriend James seemed to have lived a somewhat nomadic existence for the last couple of years. James couldn't, or wouldn't, hold down a steady job and they travelled around where the work took them. As a result, Victoria's check-ups had been sporadic at best.

"Does this job look likely to last, at least until the baby's born?" asked Bella.

Victoria shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? James doesn't like staying long in any place."

Bella looked at the other woman. She was quite ethereally pretty, with long, curly, strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes and lightly freckled, pale skin. There was also a faint air of nervousness about her.

"That's fine when it was only the two of you, but you've got a baby coming soon and it would be in both your best interests if you stayed put in one place until it's born. You're at the end of your pregnancy and it's vital you don't miss your check-ups. Moving around so much makes it difficult for us keep an eye on your condition and ensure nothing goes wrong."

Victoria looked down at her feet. "I know, but James…"

"Why don't you to talk to him and tell him you need to settle down until the baby's born? Bring him along to the next appointment," suggested Bella.

"I doubt James would want to come," grimaced Victoria. "I'll talk to him though."

Bella asked her to roll up her sleeve so she could put the blood pressure cuff on. As she did, Bella noticed a number of bruises on her arm; some faint, others much fresher. To Bella's trained eye the bruises looked like they'd been made by a hand.

Once Victoria's blood pressure and urine sample had been tested, Bella asked her to lie down in order to listen to the baby's heartbeat. When Victoria pulled up her top, Bella saw a large bruise, now faded, on the side of Victoria's swollen stomach. By now, the red flags were firmly being waved in Bella's mind.

"I'm just going to give your file to Dr. Cullen before you go in. He'll want to perform a more in-depth check up, seeing as you've been moving around so much. He'll probably also do an ultrasound. I'll only be a moment," said Bella, knocking on Edward's door. The last patient had left a few minutes ago so she knew he was free.

"Edward, I need to talk to you about the next patient." Edward listened intently as Bella related what she knew before telling him about her suspicions. "She's got a large number of bruises on her arms, both old and new and when I listened to the heartbeat, I saw a large bruise on her side. Edward, I think someone, most likely her boyfriend, has been abusing her."

Edward frowned as Bella detailed her fears. "They couldn't be from banging into things?"

Bella shook her head. "I doubt it. They look like finger marks, as if she's been grabbed tightly. It's the one on her stomach I'm worried about. What if she's been punched there?"

"We'll have to be careful how we broach the subject. She's likely to not show up again if she feels threatened. We have to try to gain her trust and see if we can get her to open up. I may schedule more frequent appointments so that we can keep an eye on her," said Edward.

"Should I mention it to Charlie?"

"We have no proof that she's been abused yet, but maybe you can get an idea from him on how to proceed. He's probably seen similar cases and might have some advice. I'll also speak to Chris and seek her advice. Can you call her in?" As Bella stood up, he asked her to sit in on the consultation. "Maybe together, we can glean some information."

As predicted, Edward did carry out an ultrasound on Victoria and saw the bruise for himself that Bella had mentioned. Bella saw his lips tighten as he caught sight of it. He also noted a deep bruise on Victoria's thigh.

"Ms Brennan, do you have some sort of blood disorder you haven't mentioned?" asked Edward.

Victoria shook her head, her eyes not meeting his. "No, why?"

"Well, I noticed a number of bruises on you," he answered kindly. "Sometimes bruises can indicate a blood disorder. The blood samples we took will determine that but I thought maybe you'd tell us if you already knew of anything."

Again, she shook her head.

"Can you tell me how you got those bruises, Victoria?" he asked, exerting all his charm. Bella could tell that Victoria wasn't unaffected, her hand going up and twisting a lock of hair around her hand.

"Um…I…ah…I'm a bit clumsy. My stomach seems to get in the way lately," she replied, shifting uneasily in her seat.

"Yes, that does happen." Coming around the table, he pulled up a chair next to her, deliberately keeping his face as open and friendly as possible. "You need to be careful, Victoria. Your baby depends entirely on you and it's vital that you stay well, and safe. It's not just about you now, you need to think about your child and what's best for both of you. Nurse Swan has told me that you move around a lot. I imagine that makes it hard to make friends, doesn't it?" he asked gently.

Victoria nodded, her eyes sad. "Yes," she whispered.

"Do you have any family?" asked Bella.

"No. I was in foster care most of my life. James is the only family I've got."

Edward nodded in understanding. In Victoria's eyes, being beaten by her boyfriend, having someone, anyone, was preferable to being alone, especially with a child on the way.

"Victoria, you can tell us anything. We will do everything in our power to help you, if that's what you want."

Sitting up, Victoria looked at them, panic in her eyes. "I don't need help. Everything's fine. I just keep bumping into things. It's hard living in a trailer when you're the size of a house."

Edward and Bella both recognized the need to back off, before they scared her away permanently. "Yes, I suppose so," said Edward soothingly, standing up and walking back to his desk. "I'm going to schedule your next appointment in a couple of weeks."

"Why?" asked Victoria suspiciously.

"I want to keep a closer eye on you seeing as I don't have a complete history of your pregnancy," he replied. "Okay?" he asked innocently.

Victoria looked at both of them for a few moments before nodding slowly.

"If you have any concerns before then, or you need to talk to someone, please don't hesitate to come in or ring," said Bella.

Giving them a faint smile, Victoria walked out of the surgery.

"Poor girl," said Bella, rubbing her forehead wearily. "No family, no friends. She's totally dependent emotionally, and probably financially, on her boyfriend, who beats her up because he know he can. I'm going to tell Charlie."

Edward took her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Until Victoria accuses him, Charlie's hands will be tied."

"Surely something can be done? Can't police do something if they suspect domestic violence? Hasn't the law been changed?" cried Bella.

"I don't know. Speak to Charlie about it. In the meantime, we have to keep stressing to her that she needs to do the best for her baby. She seemed very receptive when we spoke about its needs. Maybe that's the way to get through to her," he mused.

He cupped the back of her head and gave her soft, gentle kiss. It made Bella feel instantly better. "We'll do our best to help her Bella." Bella nodded, gave him another kiss and went back to work.

Suddenly, Edward not asking her to marry him again didn't seem so bad when she thought about Victoria. She made up her mind to speak to Charlie today.

She had lunch with Sue after the clinic ended, Edward saying he had to go to a meeting. It was after lunch that she noticed Sue was acting strangely. She kept looking at Bella, smiling secretively, then trying to look normal.

"Are you alright, Sue?" asked Bella as they sat at the nurse's station that afternoon.

"Yeah, why?" asked Sue, her voice dripping with innocence.

"You're acting weird."

"Weird? I'm not acting weird," denied Sue vehemently.

Bella shook her head and continued her paperwork. The first inkling she had that something was going on was when two delivery men walked into the unit, carrying two dozen red roses each.

Gazing at the beautiful roses, Bella was wondering who the lucky woman was that was getting them. She assumed it was one of the new mothers on the ward.

"Are you Bella Swan?" asked one of them. Bella nodded, confused.

"Here you go," he said, putting them on the desk and motioning for his companion to do the same.

"Are you sure these are for me?" asked Bella, looking at the profusion of blooms that now covered the desk.

He looked at his delivery sheet. "If your name is Bella Swan, then yep, they sure are. Enjoy."

Bella looked dazedly at the flowers, their overpowering scent filling the room. Staff, patients and visitors were coming out to look at them, exclaiming on their beauty.

Bella could only assume they were from Edward. She saw Sue grinning widely. "Do you know anything about this, Sue?" she asked suspiciously.

"I was meant to make sure you were here at this time," replied Sue, her eyes dancing.

"Why?"

"You'll see."

She was looking intently at the roses, breathing in their delicious perfume and didn't notice movement behind her until someone cleared their throat.

Startled, she turned around, her jaw dropping as she saw Edward. He was dressed in his tuxedo, a red rose in his lapel.

With a huge grin on his face, he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. Bella was still too dumbfounded to say anything. She was completely unaware of the interested audience behind her.

Suddenly, Edward went down on one knee, took her hand in one of his; the other held a small velvet box. Bella was dimly aware that she was probably gaping like a fish.

Clearing his throat nervously, Edward opened his mouth to speak. "Bella, I'm sorry I stuffed this up the other night. You deserve so much better than that. Bella, I know we haven't known each other long but I feel like I've known you forever. I never dreamt that I would find someone who fills my soul, who makes every day seem like a new adventure, who I want to spend every day of my life with." He looked deep into her tear-filled eyes and gave her a loving smile. "Bella, I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?"

It seemed that every female in the room sighed as one at the romance of the whole thing, although that went unnoticed by Bella. All she was aware of was Edward as he opened the box and held it out to her. Inside was sparkling, pink-tinged diamond solitaire set in rose gold.

Edward looked up at her, his face looking more worried as the seconds ticked by without a word from Bella. "Bella?"

Pulled from her trance, Bella gazed into Edward's brilliant green eyes and felt her own fill with tears. No wonder he hadn't said anything last night. He'd obviously planned this.

Reaching down, she took his face in her hands, threading her fingers through his hair. She gave him a watery smile. "Yes, Edward. I'd love to marry you," she whispered.

Neither of them noticed the clapping and wolf-whistles around them as he stood and took her in his arms, their mouths meeting with love and passion as their kiss sealed their promise.

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

**A/N: Hope you liked that. I liked Edward's**** second proposal much better - ah, where can I get me one of those?**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hi again. I'm sorry it's taken me longer to update than usual but the Christmas period gets really busy. The kids finish school for the year, Christmas pageants, dance concerts, Xmas dinners - I'm exhausted already. And I have to confess that I got my Christmas present early; the "Bones" box set - I've been working through each series when I could have been writing. And since I've currently got a huge crush on David Boreanaz, I just can't drag myself away!**

**Thanks so much to all of you who have reviewed and those who've added me to their alerts and favourites. A special hello to all the new readers.**

**This chapter is a mixed bag. It contains a heavy sex scene (David inspired, I must admit!) as well as some sadness. **

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 19

"I love you," murmured Edward, his lips rubbing against the nape of Bella's neck as they lay in bed, Edward's body pressed up intimately against her back, his arm securely around her waist.

"Love you too," she replied lazily, her voice satiated.

Lost in each other after Edward's proposal, it had taken them a few seconds to notice the clapping and laughing around them at the hospital. There had been a couple of wolf whistles as well as a 'get a room' comment from a wit in their audience.

Dragging their lips apart, they'd turned to their amused audience, Bella's face blushing bright red as she realised that she'd ceased to be aware of anything around her except for Edward. Holding Bella tightly in the circle of his arms, Edward grinned at them.

"Congratulations you two!" cried Sue, engulfing them both in her arms.

"Thanks for your help Sue," said Edward, hugging her back with one arm.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" asked Bella. "No wonder you were acting strange."

"Edward told me what he planned. I had no option but to help Cupid. It was all so romantic," she gushed. Bella just shook her head and laughed.

Others came forward to offer their congratulations and started to wander off.

"Come on love. We're going," said Edward, letting Bella go and taking her hand.

"Going? But I've still got another hour of my shift," said Bella.

"Not today, you don't. I've squared it with your supervisor and you've finished for the day. I have plans for us."

"What plans?"

"Let's get your things and I'll tell you on the way," replied Edward. "Sue, can we have a hand carrying these roses to the car?"

"Sure," said Sue. "I'll ring the cleaning supervisor and see if a couple of cleaners can be spared for a couple of minutes."

Edward had driven her home, the scent of the roses in car nearly overpowering and proceeded to tell her that he'd made a reservation at one of the area's fanciest restaurants to celebrate their engagement.

"We're making one stop on the way, though. Go and get changed while I get the flowers out of the car."

It didn't take Bella long to realise that they were headed to Charlie's house and the butterflies started in earnest. How was Charlie going to react to her engagement?

Walking up the steps to Charlie's door, Bella gripped Edward's hand tightly.

"Relax Bella," smiled Edward, gently squeezing her hand reassuringly. "Charlie will be fine."

"God, I hope so."

Taking a deep breath, Bella opened the door and called out to her father. As per usual, he was in the lounge. His eyes widened knowingly as he took in their finery.

"Popped the question then?" he asked Edward.

Bella's eyes widened in surprise. At Charlie's question and the fact that he seemed to be taking the idea in his stride.

"You know?" she asked her father.

"Bels, I _am_ a cop, you know. It doesn't take much detective work to figure out that you two are headed somewhere special, in all your fancy get up, does it?"

Bella shook her head, waiting for the explosion.

"Now, what would you be celebrating in such style? It's not your birthday and I doubt it's Edward's as you would have mentioned it. It can't be an anniversary, it's too soon. So an engagement seems the obvious answer."

Bella heard Edward chuckle beside her as he put his arm around her shoulder.

Charlie grinned then. "Besides, Edward asked me for your hand when he came around yesterday," he admitted.

"You did?" she asked a grinning Edward.

Edward kissed her forehead tenderly before replying. "Well of course I did. I wanted to get Charlie's approval first. I know how close you are and I wanted to do things properly."

Bella heard him mutter "this time," under his breath.

"And if he hadn't given his approval?" asked Bella curiously.

Edward gave her the sexy half-smile that drove her crazy. "I would have ignored him and asked you to marry me anyway."

Charlie burst out laughing and held his arms out for his daughter. Bella hugged her father tightly, tears threatening. He had never been a demonstrative person, so this meant even more to her.

"Thanks Dad," she whispered.

"I love you Bels. I want you to be happy."

"I love you too, Dad. And I am happy. Happier than I've ever been."

After sharing a beer with Charlie, Edward had ushered her back out to the car in order to make their dinner reservation. The restaurant had an illustrious reputation for their food and service but it was sadly wasted on them. Edward and Bella barely noticed anyone or anything other than each other. As soon they'd finished, Edward had almost bundled her into the car, both anxious to be alone, on fire for each other. They'd literally stumbled back into the apartment, celebrating their engagement by making hot, passionate love.

Edward picked up Bella's hand, his finger tracing over the diamond that now adorned her left hand. He couldn't describe how he felt to see it on her finger. He felt absurdly possessive, this ring signifying to everyone that she was his. Especially to any other males who got any ideas. Of course he didn't say any of this to Bella.

"It's a beautiful ring," she said as she rolled onto her back and looked at the sparkling pink diamond. "You've got good taste."

Edward lifted her hand and kissed her ring finger. "It was my grandmother's ring."

"Your grandmother's! Shouldn't Esme have this?"

"No. She left it to me to give to someone special. She was Carlisle's mother and we were close. She told me my grandfather saved up all his pay from the army in order to buy it. When he got back from the war, he asked her to marry him the first time he saw her again. She treasured it all her life. When she was dying, she gave it to me and told me to only give it to someone who would make me as happy as my grandfather had made her. Mom took care of it for all these years. I picked it up yesterday before I went and saw Charlie."

Bella giggled. "I still can't believe you actually asked Charlie for my hand in marriage."

"It was daunting, believe me," he chuckled. "I was hoping that he'd put away his gun, that's for sure! After his initial shock, he thanked me for going to the trouble to get his approval." He looked down at Bella's amused face.

"Why did you ask me in such a public place?"

"After the mess I made of my first, impulsive proposal, I was determined to show you that I really meant what I said. I figured that having witnesses would prove I really want to marry you." He grinned slyly at her. "Plus, it would be harder for you to say no, with all those expectant faces around."

Bella just shook her head at him. "And I suppose Sue was eager to help?"

"She couldn't wait to help when I told her what I'd planned. I don't know who was more excited, me or her."

Their laughter died as they looked into each other's eyes.

Edward leaned down and slowly ran the tip of his tongue over her parted lips, inhaling her scent which drove him wild every time. "I love you so much," he murmured against her mouth. "You taste so good, I could devour you," he said, deepening the kiss.

"Mmm, I love you too," she managed before her mouth was too busy for words.

Bella moaned softly as Edward's tongue sought out all the secrets of her mouth while his hand skimmed over her sensitive skin, the bare contact making her nerve endings tingle in response. Her pulse began to race and her breathing got more and more laboured as his hand lightly teased her skin.

His mouth left hers and travelled down to her throat, his tongue sending shivers down her spine. She gasped softly when his mouth suckled the skin below her ear. Bella could feel her body get more and more aroused as he nibbled and licked her throat and shoulders. She moaned in protest when he took his mouth away only to shudder with desire as his fingers began tracing around her breast, moving in circles towards her nipple. It tightened further as his finger rolled it around and around.

Edward looked at her briefly before licking his lips in anticipation. "God, I adore your breasts. I could happily drown in them," he murmured before licking from the base of her breast up to the peak. Bella squirmed underneath him as her nipples tightened painfully in response. Over and over, he licked all around her breast, first one then the other but never taking its peak in his mouth.

"Please Edward," she moaned, her hands tangling his hair as she tried to get his mouth where she needed it.

"Do you want me to suck them? Bite them?" he asked huskily, blowing on one peak.

"God yes!"

Obeying her request, Edward's mouth engulfed her nipple and began suckling on it, alternately nibbling then soothing it with his tongue. A whimper escaped Bella's throat when he moved to its twin.

Meanwhile his hand began tracing patterns over her stomach before moving down. As his fingers tangled in the curls between her legs, Bella opened them wide to allow him access. Slowly, Edward rubbed his finger over her folds before massaging her nub.

"Ahhh!" cried Bella, her hips lifting, seeking further contact. Edward plunged a couple of fingers into her heat, pumping them slowly into her.

"You're so ready for me, aren't you? Do you know how much it turns me on to know that you want me so much?"

Bella couldn't speak so she took his penis in her hand, squeezing and stroking. He was so hard he felt like velvet steel. She smiled as she heard his gasp against her breast.

Edward began pumping his fingers into her faster and faster, Bella's whimpers spurring him on. The feel of her in his mouth and around his fingers made him twitch and he had to force himself not come in her hand.

When he bit down on her nipple at the same time as his thumb massaged her swollen clit, Bella arched her back off the bed as she climaxed, moaning his name. Her hand unconsciously tightened on his penis and Edward had to summon all his self control. He gently pried her fingers off him, knowing he was hanging on by a thread.

Bella's laboured breathing hitched as he removed his fingers before taking them in his mouth. "You taste like the sweetest honey," he said as he savoured her taste.

Without warning, Bella sat up and pushed him back down on the bed before straddling him. She could feel his hardness pressed up against her backside and she was sorely tempted to just impale herself on him and ride him to completion but she wanted to taste him too.

"I want to taste you too," she said huskily. "I want to suck on you like a lollipop. I want to lick you and take you into my mouth as far as I can take you. I want to drive you wild."

"God, you already are!" groaned Edward as her words made him painfully hard. "I love your mouth on me. Your red lips moving up and down on me."

Kissing him hungrily, she nibbled her way down his body, smiling as he groaned loudly when his penis rubbed along her wetness as she moved. She traced her tongue over each muscled ridge of his abdomen. Bella loved the defined ridge of his hips, nibbling on each one as she neared her destination. She breathed deeply of his musky scent as she brushed his manhood with her cheek, Edward's sharply indrawn breath ringing in her ear.

Settling herself between his legs, she took him in her hands and gently stroked him up and down. Her fingertip rubbed along the tip, smearing the liquid there before touching the tip of her tongue to it and swirling it around. Edward moaned as his hips moved. From his base to the tip, Bella licked along his entire penis as it twitched.

"Bella! God, I'm gonna come if you don't stop!" he cried, his hips moving up and down.

Bella was enjoying herself too much to stop, her only response was to take his length into her mouth. Edward grabbed fistfuls of her hair as she began moving up and down, alternately blowing and sucking.

"_Aaahhh! Fuck, I'm going to come!"_ he cried.

Bella would have laughed if she could. She'd learned that Edward only swore when she was going down on him. It was a little secret that she treasured.

She felt him get harder and lengthen in her mouth and she knew his release was imminent. Bobbing up and down, she squeezed and stroked the base of his penis with hands, her movements faster and faster as his hands guided her head.

With one violent twitch, accompanied by Edward's loud moan, Bella felt his warm essence trickle down her throat. Slowing her movements, she kept sucking on him as she brought him down from his high. His hands released her hair and flopped onto the bed beside him.

Edward's eyes were shut as he tried to regain his equilibrium, and his breath. Christ, that woman was going to kill him! Reaching down, he pulled her up over his body and gave her a long, languorous kiss.

She was lying full length over him and she wriggled her hips over his, rubbing herself over his manhood as they kissed. Edward's hands gripped her hips before rubbing and squeezing her bottom, his finger dipping between her legs as he teased her.

"Did you know you swear when I give you head?" she asked him breathlessly, arching her back as his finger teased her folds.

"I do?"

"Ohhh! Yes, you do," she moaned gently as his fingers worked their magic.

"Sorry," grinned Edward unrepentantly.

"Don't be. I like it."

"Interesting," he mused. Rolling her over, he kissed his way down her body, swirling his tongue around her navel before lying between her legs, licking his lips in anticipation. His hands moved under her bottom as he lifted her up to his mouth.

"I'm going to lick your pussy until you cry for mercy." He licked along her folds in one move, drawing a long moan from Bella. "I'm going to swallow every drop." His tongue tip circled her clit. "I want to eat you until you're trembling with pleasure. I'm going to fuck you with my tongue, and when you've come I'm going to fuck you so hard that you're going to come apart in my arms."

Edward's words got Bella so hot that she could feel the gush of liquid between her legs which he proceeded to lick up. "Oh god, yes!"

Keeping his promise, he began matching his actions to his words, pushing his tongue into her, her whimpers of pleasure driving him wild. He was so hard and ready for her again, he surprised even himself. He alternated between nibbling and sucking on her nub and teasing her entrance. He reached up with one hand and began squeezing her breast and nipples.

"Yes! Oh god, yes!" cried Bella, a sheen of sweat covering her body. Her hips were bucking into his mouth, her head thrashing from side to side.

Edward felt like he was drowning in her scent; in her taste. His own hips were bucking into the mattress as he tried to ease the ache. His lips, mouth and tongue were devouring her, making her wild.

"_Edward!"_ she screamed as her orgasm hit, her body shaking from the pleasure, her lungs gasping for breath. _"Oh god!"_

Edward couldn't take anymore. Before Bella's body had recovered fully, he moved up and entered her in one swift movement, causing her to gasp aloud. The feel of him stretching her was enough for her to have another, smaller orgasm.

He pulled her legs up over his shoulders which allowed him to be buried even deeper in her body.

"Oh god, you feel so good. So good!" he groaned breathlessly as his hips began to move in and out.

"Yes! Fuck me hard, Edward," gasped Bella. Her eyes were shut and she didn't see the look of surprise on his face. With a quick grin, he did her bidding.

He started thrusting rhythmically into her, their combined gasps and moans the only sound in the room, apart from the sounds of their bodies crashing together.

Edward leant up on hands in order to pound into her even harder, his mouth slack with pleasure. He watched her head thrash from side to side as her body shook, her breasts bouncing deliciously with each thrust. Before long, he could hear the bed creaking under them.

"_Edward! I'm coming! Yes!"_ Bella cried out, her hands grabbing the bed head behind her as her legs pulled her hips even closer to his. She couldn't help the long, drawn out moan as wave after wave of pleasure exploded through her body.

The feel of her inner walls squeezing his already straining penis was enough to send Edward over the edge. With a cry he poured himself into her, collapsing onto her as his arms lost all their strength. He seemed to come endlessly into her, his body trembling from the intense sensations.

Bella put her legs down and held him in her arms, their sweat-covered bodies trying to recover from their incredible lovemaking. Edward's face was buried in her throat, his harsh, rasping breath loud in her ear.

It was several minutes before either of them had the strength to move or say anything. Edward could feel the aftershocks running through both their bodies as he was still buried inside her. He felt her shudder as he pulled out of her. Reaching around, he grabbed some tissues and handed them silently to her. Bella took them gratefully and cleaned herself up before resting her head on his shoulder, his arms securely around her.

"Wow, that was…."

"Incredible," finished Edward, his heart still pounding.

"Incredible." Bella could feel her eyelids closing. "I love you so much, Edward," she murmured sleepily.

Kissing the top of her head, he gently stroked her back. "Love you too, baby." He looked down at her face and smiled tenderly as he realised she'd fallen asleep. "Goodnight, my love," he whispered as he closed his own eyes. "Goodnight, my Bella."

o-o-o-o-o-o

Alice nearly made Bella deaf when told of their engagement. Her shriek of delight was so loud, Bella winced and held the phone away from her ear. She looked ruefully at a grinning Edward.

"You should have told her!" she complained.

"And have my eardrum burst? No way."

When Alice calmed down enough for Bella to get a word in, she demanded all the details.

"Why didn't Edward tell me he was going to propose? I would have been there."

"And have you spoil the surprise? No way," said Edward. "You couldn't keep a secret like that if your life depended on it."

Alice grumbled for a couple of minutes before she turned to the subject of the wedding.

"We haven't discussed a date yet, Alice," said Bella.

"Why not?"

"We just got engaged yesterday, that's why? Let me enjoy being engaged."

"But I can't wait," complained Alice.

"Well, you'll have to, won't you?" cut in Edward. "Leave Bella alone. We'll let you know when we work it out. How about you let us enjoy being engaged for a bit, ok squirt."

"Oh, all right. But don't wait too long. I love weddings."

"We promise you'll be the first to know," promised Bella.

Alice was adamant about throwing a party soon to celebrate their engagement. Bella and Edward reluctantly agreed to let her have her way.

"If it keeps her off our backs for a while, it'll be worth it," sighed Edward, a wry smile on his face.

Jacob invited them out for a drink to celebrate when Bella told him the news. They met up with him at a local bar a couple of nights later after work.

"Congrats to both of you," he toasted, clinking glasses with both of them.

"Thanks Jake."

Edward and Jacob shared a couple of beers as Jacob regaled him with tales of Bella's younger days. Edward laughed heartily as Jacob told him of some of her mishaps.

"Will you cut it out, Jake!"

"Why? I think he deserves to know that he might end up spending more time in the ER than he planned," laughed Jake.

"I'm not nearly so clumsy now, you know."

"That's true," said Edward. "I've actually hardly seen her do anything clumsy."

"Must be your good influence," Jake replied, earning himself a punch from Bella, which he hardly felt anyway.

Word spread quickly around the hospital and both of them received numerous congratulations over the following days. Bella also received a few envious looks from some of the female staff.

"It's not fair," Bella heard Jessica complain to another nurse, unaware she was nearby. "It's not like we get many hot guys move into the area. Then a god like Edward Cullen arrives and a nobody like Bella Swan gets her hooks into him."

"I know. I don't know what he sees in her. I mean, you're so much prettier, Jess," said the other nurse, who's name escaped Bella.

"I know. I mean, she's got no boobs to speak of. Boring brown eyes. No real figure to speak of. He's probably only with her because she gives him head or something."

Bella could feel her temperature rise as she listened to the catty remarks. Normally she would just slink away and ignore it, this time she decided not to. Tapping Jessica on the shoulder, she smirked at Jessica's chagrined face as she realised Bella had heard everything.

"Actually Jessica, Edward does love it when I give him head, but in truth, he prefers to go down on me. And yes, he is built like a Greek god. Everywhere. And he can make me scream in pleasure. Not that you'll ever experience what it's like to make love with Edward, will you? There's nothing better in this world. And he did ask me to marry him, so obviously he likes something about me." Tilting her head close to Jessica's shocked face she continued. "And he could happily drown in my breasts," she whispered. Giving Jessica a sarcastic smile, she walked away, smiling at the sniggers aimed in Jessica's direction by those who'd heard the whole conversation.

As Bella walked back to maternity, she burst out laughing as she remembered the look on Jessica's face. Priceless.

o-o-o-o-o-o

It was a week and half later that Bella's phone rang. She and Edward were just lounging around after a hectic day at work.

"Bella? It's Dad. He's taken a turn for the worse."

"Oh Jake. I'll come over," said Bella.

"What's happened?" asked Edward as he followed her to the bedroom. He watched as she put on her shoes and looked around for her bag.

"It's Billy. He's taken a turn for the worse. Jake needs me."

Billy's condition had deteriorated in the last couple of months. He'd lost a great deal of weight and his memory was failing as the tumour in his brain got larger. It was also affecting his motor functions and was becoming more and more incapable of doing things for himself. Jake had taken over more of his care as Billy got worse.

"Do you want me to come with you?" asked Edward.

Bella shook her head. "No. I don't know how long I'll be and you need to work tomorrow. If it gets too late, I'll stay at Jake's."

Edward reluctantly agreed. "Take care, love," he urged, giving her a kiss. "Give my best to Jacob."

"I will." Bella sighed. "We knew this day was going to come, but I guess we hoped it would take longer. Can you do me a favour?" Edward nodded. "Can you ring Charlie and let him know. Jake may have called him already but just in case…"

"It's ok, love. I'll call him. You go."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

Bella drove to Jacob's house as quickly as possible. A haggard looking Jacob let her in. Bella took a look at the pain on her friend's face and pulled him into a tight hug. Jacob buried his face in her shoulder and Bella could feel the tremors run through his body. They stood like that for several moments before Jacob stepped back.

"How is he, Jake?"

Jacob ran his hands over his face. "He's lost the use of his arms and legs completely. I called the doctor and he said it could be anytime now." A tear tracked down his face. "A palliative care nurse is on her way now."

Leading her into Billy's room, Bella was shocked at how quickly Billy had gone downhill. A couple of weeks ago, he had been joking with Charlie when she visited her father. Now he was a shell of the robust man she'd known for most of her life. His skin looked like paper, thin and fragile, like a single touch would rip it. His eyes were closed and Bella could hear the rasping breath coming from his mouth.

The nurse arrived and checked Billy. "It won't be long now, Mr Black. A day or two at the most."

"I don't want him to be in pain," said Jacob hoarsely. Bella squeezed his hand in support.

"No, I'll make sure his not in any pain."

A knock on the door heralded Charlie's arrival. Bella let him in and led him to Billy's bedroom.

For the rest of the night, one of them sat with Billy while the other's got some sleep. Charlie left early to go to work. As dawn arrived, she sat with Jacob at Billy's bedside, listening to his faltering breaths.

"I can't imagine him not being here, Bella."

"I know. He's always been part of my life."

"I'll be alone."

"You'll have your sisters."

"They have their own lives away from here. No, I'll have no-one."

Bella put her arm around his shoulders and hugged him. "You have me, Jake. I'll always be your best friend."

"Yeah, but you have Edward now. Your first priority will be him, as it should be. It's not like we can just hang out like we used to. I always had Billy to talk with, joke with. This house will be so empty without him." His shoulders shook with his tears, his hands over his face. Bella ached for him. He was right. He had his friends, he had her, but at night when a person's loneliness was magnified, he would be alone.

Jake leaned on her shoulder as he cried silent tears. They sat like that for hours while the sun rose on another day.

When Billy's condition hadn't changed by mid morning, she convinced Jacob to get some sleep. She rang Edward to let him know how things were going.

"How's Jake holding up?" he asked, not liking the sound of tiredness in Bella's voice.

"He's barely coping. It's the waiting that's killing him."

"Did you get any sleep?"

"A few hours. We've been taking it in turns to sit with Billy. Jake's asleep now."

Edward offered to come over but Bella said no. It wasn't that she didn't want him there but she knew Jacob wanted only those closest to Billy there.

"Look after yourself, love. Do you need anything?"

"Could you bring me a change of clothes? I don't want to leave Jake alone in case Billy passes while I'm not here. I don't want him to be alone."

"Ok love. I'll bring them over after work."

True to his word, Edward brought her some clothes, gave his condolences to Jacob who looked as bad as Bella had said and left, kissing her tenderly as he left.

"I miss you."

"I miss you too, but Jake needs me."

"I know. I'm just being selfish. Love you."

"Love you too."

Charlie came over after work and took his turn sitting with Billy.

At 3.37am, Billy drew his last breath as his spirit was reunited with his beloved wife, surrounded by his son, his best friend and Bella.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: I'm sorry I left it on such a sad note, but it had to be written some time. I hope that Jacob has some happier times in the future.**

**The next chapter may take a couple of weeks to update. We're starting our summer holidays and the beach beckons. Also, now that the kids are holidays it's even harder to get my hands on the laptop. Combine that with making my way through 4 series of 'Bones' - it's slowed me down a bit. But things will go back to normal in a few weeks.**

**I want to wish all of you and your families, whether you celebrate it or not, a very Merry Christmas and a terrific New Year. All of you in cold climes, enjoy your white Christmas. Those of us in hot weather, stay cool, wear sunscreen and enjoy your bbqs, picnics, beach or however you spend the day. For those Aussie's reading, let's hope we can avoid destructive bushfires this summer. Stay safe, drive carefully and I look forward to hearing from you in the New Year.**

**Cecilia xxx**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hi everyone! Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year. I did, which is why it's taken me so long to get my bum back into gear. Way too much sun, food and wine! Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing and a special hello to any new readers. **

**A big thanks to MrsKatyCullen for betaing this for me.**

Chapter 20

"My father, Billy Black, was a good man. An honourable man. He cared deeply for his people, his friends and most of all, his family…" Jacob's voice broke as he looked down at his father's coffin. Bella's heart ached for her friend even though he was surrounded by his sisters and their families as well as his extended family.

As Jacob continued his eulogy, tears rolled down Bella's cheeks. A handkerchief gently wiped them away. She smiled gratefully up at Edward, who wrapped his arm around her waist and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. Bella was grateful for his strength and support.

The days since Billy's death had been hectic. His doctor had been summoned in order to certify his death and since then it seemed as if there had been nothing but a whirlwind of activity. At Jacob's request, Bella had stayed to support him as the seemingly never ending stream of mourners had come to pay their respects. Due to Billy's status within Quileute society, a number of high ranking chiefs from other tribes had arrived as well.

As a result, Bella hadn't been able to go home for a couple of days after Billy died and she desperately missed Edward's arms around her at night. It wasn't until Jacob's sisters had arrived that she felt able to go home and leave Jacob to their care.

Bella also worried how Charlie was dealing with Billy's death. The night he died had been the first time she had ever seen her father cry and the sight had broken her heart. Charlie was normally so stoic, always avoiding showing his emotions so to see him openly weep was terribly unnerving. By unspoken agreement, none of them mentioned Charlie's tears again. After that, Charlie had reverted to his normal, stoic self but Bella knew that he was suffering.

After Jacob finished speaking, another of the Quileute elders began a ceremonial chant over the coffin. Edward watched as several members of the tribe laid various items of food and some of Billy's possessions on and around the coffin.

"Those are to aid Billy in the afterlife," murmured Bella in explanation. Edward nodded in understanding.

The elder finished chanting and Billy's coffin was lowered into the ground, accompanied by singing from a number of Quileute women. Bella gripped Edward's hand as a wave of grief swept over her. It suddenly seemed to hit her that this was final. That she would never see her 'uncle' again. She laid her head on Edward's shoulder as his arm tightened around her.

Afterwards a large number of people descended on Jacob's house for Billy's wake. Bella hadn't attended many funerals but it always struck her how after the funeral, the atmosphere would lighten. It was as if the ceremony allowed mourners to express their sorrow, shed their tears and their burden of grief. Then, once it was over, it seemed like a weight was lifted, allowing them to remember the deceased as they were in life, to celebrate, instead of mourn. Bella knew that Jacob could now start the process of healing.

Hand in hand with Edward, Bella chatted with the guests, sharing memories of Billy. She kept an eye on Jacob to see how he was coping. She was glad to see him laugh with another man, obviously sharing an amusing anecdote about his father. Then she looked around for Charlie and was surprised to see him deep in conversation with an attractive older woman. She had the features of a Native Indian, with shoulder-length black hair, tanned skin and dark eyes. Bella watched as she laughed at something Charlie was saying, both of them leaning in towards each other.

"That's Kara." Jacob's voice next to her startling her out of her musings. "They met when we went ice fishing with Dad. I told you about her."

"I think I remember you saying something about a woman at the time," nodded Bella.

"She came down with her brother. I think Charlie's smitten."

Bella heard Edward chuckle beside her and she glared up at him. "What? It's good that your father is showing an interest in someone, isn't it?" he asked.

She sighed and nodded. "Yes, I know. It's just weird, that's all. I can't remember him paying much attention to any woman before."

"Well, we could be making a whole lot more of this than what's really there, you know."

Bella nodded and suddenly felt so tired, wanting nothing more than to go home. She looked up at Edward and saw him looking down at her with concerned eyes. "Can we go home?"

"Of course love. Let's say our goodbyes and go. You look tired. It's been a rough week," he said tenderly.

By the time Bella and Edward got to Charlie, he was talking to some men, Kara nowhere to be seen. He kissed Bella goodbye and urged Edward to look after her.

When they reached Jacob, he hugged her tight and thanked her for everything.

"You don't have to thank me, Jake. You know that. I'm glad your sisters are staying for a couple of weeks."

"Yeah, it'll be good to catch up." He turned to Edward, shook his hand and gave him a one-armed hug. "Thanks Edward."

"For what?" asked Edward quizzically.

"For understanding that I needed Bella."

Edward nodded. "Take care, Jacob."

As soon as they arrived home, Edward helped Bella strip down to her underwear before settling her into bed. With a tender kiss, he stroked her hair as she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

o-o-o-o-o-o

After the funeral, life gradually returned to normal. Jacob's sisters spent a couple of weeks with him, helping him sort out his father's possessions. After they left, Jacob began spending more time with Charlie, maybe as a sort of father substitute.

A couple of days after Billy's funeral Bella went to her father's house after work to check on him. To her astonishment, she found Charlie getting ready to go out. He was wearing dress pants and a collared shirt and he actually wore cologne. Bella simply gaped at her father while he shuffled uncomfortably under her stare.

"Wow, Dad. You look great!" exclaimed Bella. "What's the occasion?"

Charlie looked at his feet and mumbled something incomprehensible.

"I didn't catch that, Dad," said while trying to hide a grin.

"Um, I'm going out to dinner."

"That's great, Dad. With the guys? Is it someone's birthday?" she teased, guessing the answer already. Bella knew she shouldn't but the situation was so novel that she couldn't help herself.

"No. With a lady friend."

Bella grinned. "Would this lady friend be called Kara?"

Charlie's head shot up in surprise. "How do you know Kara?"

"I don't. Jacob told me her name at the funeral. She's very attractive."

Charlie blushed bright red and began looking for an escape. Bella took pity on her father.

"Relax Dad. I'm happy for you. It's way past time you showed an interest in someone."

"Kara's just a friend. She goes home tomorrow," retorted Charlie.

"If you say so. I'll let you finish getting ready. Have fun, Dad. Let your hair down, metaphorically speaking," grinned Bella, kissing him on the cheek.

"Yeah, well…"

Bella was still chuckling when she got home and as she told Edward. When he asked her if she had checked if Charlie was practicing safe sex, Bella stomach hurt from laughing.

Charlie was tight lipped about Kara after she left so Bella insisted that Jacob tell her any news that he learned. Jacob was reluctant to gossip about Charlie at first but then got too intrigued about the possibility of Charlie romantically involved with a woman to help himself. So far, all Bella knew was that Charlie spoke regularly on the phone with Kara and there were no plans to meet up, at least that anyone knew about.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"Yes Mom. I promise we'll try to get down there soon. I don't know. It depends on our rosters."

Edward let himself into the apartment and could hear Bella talking on the phone. Taking off his jacket, tie and shoes, he wandered into the lounge. Coming up behind the couch, he leaned down and placed a kiss on Bella's shoulder. Bella grinned up at him and mouthed "Mom" in explanation. Sitting down next to her, Edward called out, "Hi Renee."

"Is that Edward? Let me talk to him," demanded Renee.

Even though they hadn't met in person yet, Renee already adored Edward. They had spoken for the first time after Bella's visit and Edward had effortlessly charmed her, as he did most women.

"Now, when are you coming down to Jacksonville?" asked Renee. "Bella keeps giving me excuses. I'm sure you can sweet talk her into bringing her fiancé down to meet her mom," she pleaded.

Edward chuckled. He couldn't wait to meet Renee. He had feeling the two of them would have a blast. "I'm sorry Renee. It's been a hectic time. Bella wasn't exaggerating. Listen, I have an idea about when we could visit but I'll need to run it by Bella and we'll have to sort things out at work."

Renee was slightly mollified. "Ok. Promise you'll try your hardest to get yourselves down here for a visit."

"I promise."

After a few minutes conversation, he handed the phone back to Bella, her expression quizzical. As soon as she said her goodbyes and hung up, she turned to him.

"What was that about visiting? What do you have in mind?"

"How much holiday leave do you have?" asked Edward.

"A fair bit. I haven't used much of my leave. Why?"

"We've got our trip to Seattle for the Berlin Philharmonic in three weeks."

"So?"

"I thought about extending the weekend by a few days and travelling down to Jacksonville. It would save us having to travel to Seattle twice and it would be a nice break for us. What do you think? Do you think you'd be able to get the time off?"

Bella looked thoughtfully at him as her mind raced with the possibilities. "I think that's a great idea. I can ask to have my roster worked so that I can have consecutive days off then I'll only need to take a day or two of annual leave. What about you?"

"I'll talk to Bernard. He's talking about going away for a couple of weeks in September or October so I'll be covering for him then. I don't think it'll be a problem. It'll be good to get away. You've been looking tired since the funeral. You ok?" he asked gently, his finger stroking her cheek.

Bella nodded. "Yeah. It's just the stress of Billy dying. It must have taken more out of me than I thought. A few days away will just what the doctor ordered."

Edward grinned and kissed her lightly. "Well this doctor thinks we should go and get some dinner. Can this doctor take his favourite nurse out for a pizza?"

"Just pizza?" she asked cheekily.

"Well, pizza for starters," he replied huskily.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Bella was looking through the patient files before the clinic started and saw that Victoria Brennan was here for her check up. It had been over a month since she saw her as she had been dealing with Billy's death the last time Victoria had an appointment. She quickly scanned the notes to see what observations had been made. There was no mention of any new bruising. Bella didn't know what to make of that. Had her partner stopped beating her? Had Victoria left him? She really hoped so, for the baby's sake, as well as its mother. Bella didn't know why she was so affected by Victoria's plight; something about her just seemed to pull at Bella's heartstrings.

"Ready to get started?" asked Edward, poking his head out the door.

Nodding, Bella picked up the first file and walked to the clinic door to call the first patient. "Victoria Brennan's in today."

"Good. We'll see how she's faring."

Bella and Edward worked steadily through the clinic until it was time to call Victoria in. Bella watched as she pushed herself up from her seat, her bulk obviously making it difficult to move easily.

"Hi Victoria. Come in and make yourself comfortable," urged Bella, holding the door open for her. "How have you been?" Bella asked conversationally as she automatically put the blood pressure cuff on her arm, surreptitiously looking over the young mother-to-be, searching for any evidence of further abuse.

"Tired," sighed Victoria. "Everything's so much harder."

"I can imagine," said Bella sympathetically. "You don't have long now though. Only four weeks or so."

"Thank God."

Bella noted that Victoria was looking quite fragile. She had dark circles under her eyes and had put her hair up haphazardly, as if she didn't really care about her appearance. Satisfied with her blood pressure she suggested that Victoria get up on the bed so that she could listen to the baby's heartbeat. As Victoria lifted her leg to climb up, she gasped sharply and grabbed her hip.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?" asked Bella

Victoria shook her head urgently. "No, no. I'm fine. It's just a twinge," as she lay down, her face white.

"I'm going to get Doctor Cullen to look at you here. You're obviously in a fair bit of pain."

"No, it's ok," cried Victoria, grabbing Bella's hand.

"Victoria," she said softly. "You know it's not ok. We have to check things out. For the baby."

Those seemed to be the magic words and she acquiesced immediately. Whatever else was going on in her life, there was no doubt that Victoria loved her baby. Not surprising really, considering her background.

Edward came and took Victoria's hand, smiling gently at her. "Victoria, Bella tells me that you're in some pain. I need to check out what that is. Bella, can you get the ultrasound ready out here, please?"

As Bella wheeled out the machine, Edward spoke soothingly to Victoria. "I'm going to listen to the heartbeat now," he explained, as Bella pulled up Victoria's top. As she lowered the pants Bella gasped softly. There, on Victoria's left hip, was a large, ugly bruise, no more than a day old. Edward looked at the bruise with a grim face before looking up at Bella, both knowing what the other was thinking.

Not wanting to spook the girl before he'd checked her out, Edward pretended to ignore the bruise and performed his examination.

"Ok, everything looks fine with the baby. The heartbeat is nice and strong, it's a good size for dates and it's in a good position. You'll probably feel your stomach 'drop' in the next few days as its head engages in the pelvis, ready for birth."

Victoria's eyes closed in relief for a brief moment then began struggling to sit up, wincing in pain. Edward's hand closed over her arm, stilling her.

"Victoria, we need to talk about that bruise," he said quietly.

Victoria's eyes looked nervously between Edward and Bella, as if deciding whether they could be trusted. "No…um…it was an accident."

"We know that's not an accident, Victoria," said Bella. Taking hold of her hand, Bella tried to get through to her. "Please let us help you."

Shaking her head, a tear slipped down Victoria's face. "No, I…I…can't."

"We can help you," insisted Edward. "You can't let him keep hurting you like that. It's not going to get better. You know that. He'll only get worse."

"He's all I've got," she whispered brokenly.

"No, that's not true. There are people that can help you. Protect you," argued Bella. "Say the word and we can have him arrested for hurting you."

Victoria shook her head. "He's only like that when he drinks. He loves me. I know he does."

Squeezing her hand, Bella tried to get through to her. "That's not love, Victoria. Love isn't supposed to hurt. A man who loves a woman would never want to see her hurt, especially the mother of his child. I know you love your baby. What if he hurt it? How could you cope if he harmed your baby?"

The tears were now flowing down Victoria's face. "And where would I go? I have nothing. No money, no job, a baby on the way," she cried bitterly.

"There are places, refuges, for people who need help," insisted Edward.

"I would be homeless. My baby would be homeless."

"But you wouldn't have to live in fear," replied Bella.

Victoria gave a short, mirthless laugh. "Do you really believe that? James wouldn't just let me go. He'd drag me back. I know, I've tried."

Bella's heart broke for the poor girl.

"Not if he was in jail," countered Edward.

"You really have been sheltered, haven't you?" she said cynically. "A judge would just give him bail and then he'd come after me for having him arrested."

"Victoria, my father is the Chief of Police. I'm sure he'd help you."

She seemed to shrink back at that revelation, her eyes darting wildly around her. Bella thought she looked like a caged wild animal, desperately seeking a way out.

"Please Victoria. For your child. Do you want him or her to grow up in a home filled with violence? To always be fearful for itself or you? That's no way for a child to grow up," pleaded Bella.

"My mother is on the board of various charities," said Edward. "I can ask her what services are available."

Victoria seemed to visibly deflate. "I…I don't know."

"Please think about it," asked Bella. She stood up and grabbed a pen and paper.

"Here. It's my number. If you need help or you decide you want to get away from him, please call me." Ripping off the pages, she folded it and placed it in Victoria's hand, closing her fingers around the paper.

Victoria looked at both of them. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I hate the thought of you and your baby being hurt. This should be a special time for you, a time when you're supposed to be protected and coddled, not hit. You don't deserve that. No-one does."

Victoria sniffed and loudly, gratefully taking a proffered tissue. "I'll think about it."

Edward nodded. "I'll try and find some information for you. We'll see you next week."

After she left, Bella sat down, rubbing her forehead, feeling drained from the encounter. She felt Edward's hand on her shoulder. Sighing, she stood and prepared for the next patient. "Do you think she's going to listen?"

"I don't know. I hope so. How about we drop by Mom's house after work? See what she says?"

"Yeah. It might help me stop feeling so impotent."

Edward took her in him arms. "We can't do any more unless Victoria seeks help. We can only show her we care."

Hugging him briefly, they went back to work.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"Oh, the poor girl!" cried Esme as they had dinner in her kitchen that evening. Without naming her, Edward described Victoria's plight, hoping the Esme could give them some advice.

"Do you know of any organizations in the area that may be able to help her. The poor girl's due to give birth in a month and has no family to go to. Her boyfriend sounds like a real piece of work," said Edward, his voice full of disgust.

"I'm not on any committee that deals with the victims of domestic violence but that doesn't mean I can't ask around. There might be one in the Port Angeles area. The main problem, like in many places, is that organisations are mainly found in large cities and towns. Smaller towns generally don't have the facilities, sadly," informed Esme.

"So what does a battered wife do?" asked Bella. "Stay, because there's nowhere to go?"

"If they don't have family, they probably have to go to Seattle. If they press charges, then hopefully he's put away long enough for them to get their lives together." Seeing Bella's distressed face, Esme squeezed her hand. "We'll get help for this girl, I promise. But she needs to seek help."

Bella sighed despondently. Then she got angry. "What kind of scum hurts a defenseless, pregnant woman? She's carrying his baby, for God's sake!"

Seeing her distress, Edward pulled her into his arms, held her tight and kissed the top of her head. "Oh love, don't. You've had enough to deal with in the last few weeks. We'll do our best for her. That's all we can do."

Bella took a deep breath and nodded. "I know. It's just so upsetting thinking about it."

Edward couldn't help thinking how if Bella were carrying his child, he would want to coddle and protect her, see that nothing happened to her. He would probably drive her nuts but the fact that she was doing something so miraculous as growing their child in her womb would fill him with awe. The idea that a man could hurt the woman who was carrying his baby was so abhorrent that if he came across this monster called James, he'd be hard-pressed not to beat him to a pulp, give him a taste of his own medicine.

The following afternoon Bella paid her father a visit. Without giving details, she sought Charlie's advice from a legal point of view.

"The problem, Bels, is that we get called out to an incident but so many times, the woman doesn't want to lay charges. If there's visible injury, like blood and obvious bruising, then we can arrest the guy, and keep him locked away for a few days. They usually get bailed, often by his victim and the cycle starts again. But if there's no obvious injury then it's up the victim to lay assault charges. It's frustrating as hell because you know he's going to do it again."

"What if she were to get a restraining order?"

"Well, that's different. If he breaks the terms of the order, in any way, we can arrest him. But she needs to do this. If the assault is particularly bad, requiring hospitalisation, then a judge can issue one regardless of the woman's wishes. Sadly, a lot of women ignore the order themselves and let the guy back into their life again, with the same results."

Bella knew there were many reasons why women went back to their abusive partners but she still had trouble comprehending it.

"The best thing you can do is encourage this woman, over and over, to leave and get a restraining order if she's afraid of him. If she knows she has someone to support her, she may take that step."

"Thanks for your help, Dad. It's been helpful."

"Is it anyone I know?"

"I doubt it. Anyway, enough about me. How's Kara?"

Charlie blushed red and hurriedly changed the subject, much to Bella's amusement.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Both Edward and Bella had managed to secure the time off needed to travel to Jacksonville, much to Renee's delight. Bella was secretly nervous about flying again, after that awful flight back in December, but at least this time she would have Edward next to her. She was much more excited about spending the night at the Fairmont Olympic. With Alice's help, she bought herself new dress to wear to the Symphony performance and dinner afterwards. She went and bought herself some sexy underwear to wear with it, but hadn't shown Edward. If they were going to spend the night in a romantic hotel room, she was going to make the most of it. Their flight to Jacksonville was at four in the afternoon, so they could have a sleep in, or whatever.

Four nights before they were due to leave for Seattle, they were having dinner at Esme and Carlisle's house. Alice and Jasper were there as well, Alice proudly showing off her baby bump under a t-shirt that said "If you think Mom's hot, wait 'till you see me!"

"I've had a whole heap of sayings printed and they've been selling like hotcakes," said Alice when they had a laugh at the shirt.

After dinner, Alice was alternately describing the planned décor of the baby's room and hassling Bella and Edward to set a wedding date when Bella's phone rang.

Thinking it was either Charlie or Jacob, she frowned as she saw the unfamiliar number.

"Hello?"

For a few moments, there was no sound on the other end until Bella detected harsh, broken breathing.

"Hello, who's there?" She saw Edward looking at her curiously.

"B…B…Bella? It's Vic…Victoria." Her voice trailed off as an audible sob stopped her words.

"Victoria? Are you ok?" she asked, looking worriedly at Edward.

"No. Please…please help…me."

Signaling to Edward, she stood up. "Ok. Where are you? We'll come and get you. Tell me where you are."

"At a payphone near the entrance of the trailer park."

"Are you hurt?"

"A bit. Please help me."

"Where's James? Is he nearby?"

"Um…I think he's passed out in the trailer." Another sob escaped her.

"Ok good. Stay there. We're on our way."

Covering the mouthpiece, Bella turned to the worried faces around her.

"It's Victoria. He's assaulted her again."

Alice gasped in shock.

"Oh dear god," cried Esme. "Bella, bring her back here. She'll need somewhere to stay and we've got plenty of room."

"Yes, please bring her here if she's agreeable," agreed Carlisle.

"Are you sure?" asked an astonished Bella, looking between the two of them.

"Of course we are. Go get the poor girl. She's probably terrified," urged Esme.

"I'll see how she is and whether she needs to go to hospital," said Edward. "If not, we'll bring her back here.

"I'll go home and get some clothes," offered Alice. "I should have some things that will fit her."

Bella was overwhelmed by the Cullen's kindness towards a complete stranger. Not many people would offer a place to stay to someone they'd never met.

"Come on, Bella," urged Edward, pulling her towards the door.

"Alice, can you ring Charlie? Tell him go to the trailer park. Tell him that Victoria Brennan, eight months pregnant has been assaulted by her partner. Apparently, he's passed out in the van."

"I'll call him. Just go get her," said Carlisle.

Edward drove grim-faced towards the trailer park. He was sorely tempted to go the trailer but he knew that would make things worse. He'd leave it to Charlie to deal with the dirtbag.

"She's at a payphone outside the park."

"Ok, keep your eyes on the lookout."

It didn't take long to find Victoria. She was huddled next to the payphone, her arms clutching her extended stomach. She was a pitiful sight. When she heard the car pull up, she looked up fearfully, breathing a sigh of relief when Bella and Doctor Cullen got out.

"Victoria!" exclaimed Bella when she saw her face. One eye was swollen shut and she had a split lip, dried blood on her chin. "Oh god, what did he do to you?"

At Bella's concern, tears began trickling down her face.

"Victoria, did he hit you anywhere else? Your stomach?" asked Edward gently.

Victoria shook her head. "No, he mainly punched me in the face."

"We're going to take you to the hospital and have you thoroughly checked out, ok?" he told her.

As he spoke, they could hear police sirens getting louder. Victoria looked up warily.

"We called my father," said Bella. "He can't get away with this anymore."

Victoria nodded her head sadly. Together, they led Victoria to the car and let her sit in the back seat. The police cars came around the corner, and stopped when they saw Bella.

"Bella?"

"Dad, Victoria's here. James is in the trailer."

Walking over, Charlie bent down. "Hello Victoria. Can you tell me who did this to you?" he asked gently.

"J..James. My part….partner."

"Looks like he roughed you up. We're gonna take him away. I'll need to see you later and get a statement when you're ready. Is that ok?"

Victoria nodded.

"Charlie, we're going to get her to the hospital to make sure everything's ok with the baby. If she's ok, we'll take her to Mom and Dad's. She'll be staying there for a little while," informed Edward.

Charlie's jaw clenched in anger as he realised that Victoria was heavily pregnant. "Good. I'll probably stop by tomorrow. Let you get some rest," he told her. Looking at Bella, he continued. "Go, take her to the hospital. I'll deal with this guy."

For someone who appeared so laid back most of the time, Bella was astonished to see the fury in her father's eyes as he summed up the situation. She almost felt sorry for James. Almost.

Victoria spent a couple hours in the hospital and was discharged into Edward's care. They had told her about Esme's offer to give her a place to stay and she was mystified that a stranger would make that kind of offer.

"Are you sure?" she kept asking on the drive to Esme's.

"Yes," insisted Edward. "I promised we'd help you. You'll have plenty of privacy."

"That's not what I'm worried about. I'm imposing"

"Please Victoria. You'll love Esme. Everyone does. Besides, what choice do you have?'' Bella pointed out.

Victoria's shoulders slumped in defeat. She felt desperately weary and just wanted to sleep. She didn't want to think about James or the future. She just wanted oblivion for a while.

As Esme's house came into view, Victoria gasped in admiration. Even though it was late, she could see that the house was beautiful and felt so much like an intruder she was tempted to flee. Looking down at her swollen belly, she grimaced. She wouldn't get very far.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

Bella smiled. "I had the same reaction when I saw it for the first time too. It's even lovelier inside."

The front door opened as Edward pulled up to the front steps and four figures stepped out. Victoria saw the handsome older couple and guessed they were Edward's parents. The young woman was also pregnant, but not as far along and she was resting against an extraordinarily handsome blond man. Boy, did these people hit the jackpot in the looks department.

Edward opened the door and held his hand out to help her out. Bella took hold of her other arm and they led her up the steps. They stopped in front of the smiling couple.

"Victoria, these are my parents, Esme and Carlisle. And this is my sister, Alice and her husband, Jasper."

"Welcome Victoria," greeted Esme, her arms coming around the pregnant girl and giving her a hug. "You mustn't worry about anything. You'll be safe and looked after here. I want you to feel at home."

The words of kindness from a total stranger was Victoria's undoing. From somewhere deep inside, a sob burst forth and it was like a dam bursting. All her pain, fear and sadness bubbled to the surface and she was sobbing into Esme's shoulder.

Esme's eyes filled with tears at the young woman's pain and held her tight. The other's stood around, moved at the sight. Without Victoria being aware of it, she was led towards one of the bedrooms. The men left the women to see to Victoria.

Carefully, they dressed her in one of Alice's nightgowns. She was still sobbing, not really aware of what was happening around her. Esme and Bella got her into bed, her hand clutching Esme's.

"I'll sit with her until she falls asleep," whispered Esme. With her free hand, she gently stroked Victoria's hair, the action seeming to have a soothing effect on the distressed girl.

Bella and Alice left the room and went to find the men. They were in the sitting room, quietly talking. All of them had been affected by the sight of Victoria.

"How is she?" asked Edward, pulling Bella close.

"Esme's sitting with her until she falls asleep. It's like she's letting everything out."

"Poor kid," murmured Jasper, pulling Alice down onto his lap. "What kind of evil bastard hits a pregnant woman?" he asked in disgust.

"Charlie was locking him up. Hopefully for good."

"Jail's too good for him," snorted Jasper. Alice hadn't said a word. She just couldn't imagine Jasper doing something like that. Or Edward or Carlisle.

"Come on, baby. Let's get you home. You need your sleep," said Jasper, pulling Alice towards the door.

Shortly after they left, Esme came out.

"How is she?" asked Bella.

"She finally fell asleep, thank goodness. She really needs it by the looks of things. My heart just breaks for her. But don't worry, I'm going to look after her and make sure she enjoys the last weeks of her pregnancy. And I'm going to make sure she knows she can stay as long as she wants."

Bella hugged Esme. She truly loved her at this moment. Esme was a truly wonderful human being. "Thank you Esme."

"Don't be silly. Everything will work out. She's safe here."

"Charlie will come around tomorrow to get a statement from Victoria, if she feels up to it," said Edward.

"I'll make sure I'm with her. For moral support," replied Esme.

"I'll keep an eye on her," said Carlisle. "Make sure she heals alright."

"Thanks Dad. Her next appointment is on Monday. I'll make sure Bernard knows the situation."

"I'll go with her to the appointment if she likes," offered Esme.

"That would be good," replied Edward. Looking at Bella's worn face, he took her hand. "Come on love. Let's get you home. It's late and Victoria's safe."

Nodding, Bella gave her future parents-in-law a tight hug each. How did she end up so lucky that she had a wonderful fiancé who had equally wonderful parents?

Edward held her tight all night and she felt totally safe and protected.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: Let me know what you thought.**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hi again! Thanks so much to everyone who's read, reviewed, alerted my story. It means so much to me to know my story is being appreciated. This chapter is a lot more fluffy than the previous two, so enjoy. It's been horrendously hot here this last week so I'm glad I managed to get any writing done!**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

"I'm so glad we're finally going," said Edward, giving Bella a wide grin as he drove them towards Seattle.

Bella grinned back. "So am I," she agreed with a heartfelt sigh. "What a week!"

"Well, we can relax, unwind and enjoy the concert tonight. I really can't wait to see the orchestra," enthused Edward, his voice full of excitement.

Reaching out, Bella softly stroked his cheek, smiling at his child-like excitement. "I love you."

Looking at his beautiful face, she couldn't imagine her life without Edward in it. He was her whole world now. And if she didn't love him desperately before, the last few weeks since Billy's death would have proven to her that she never wanted to be without him. His actions, his care of her also showed her how much he loved her. When he smiled tenderly at her words, her eyes filled with tears and she suddenly wanted to set a wedding date. At this very moment, she wanted nothing more than to be married to Edward, to know that they belonged to each other, in every way possible.

Keeping his eyes on the road, Edward took her hand from his cheek and brought it to his mouth, kissing her palm reverently. "I love you too, baby. More than you know."

Bella decided that sometime during this break, she was going to talk to him about setting their wedding date. She didn't really care if they got married in a registry office at the moment. She just wanted to marry him. Unfortunately, Alice would have a fit if they did that, and in her delicate condition…

Noting the sudden quiet, Edward turned his head and saw that Bella had fallen asleep, her hand still in his. Poor baby, he thought tenderly. She really did need this mini break. It would be good to relax and enjoy their time together, without worrying about work, Jacob or Victoria.

The day after they had rescued Victoria, Carlisle had called them into his office to give them an update.

"Esme called me a short while ago. Charlie came around and Victoria said she felt up to giving him a statement."

"How is she?" asked Bella.

"She had a good night's sleep, which she really needed. Esme let her sleep as long as she wanted to. She's stiff and sore from her bruising, but that will improve over the next few days. Esme says she's very quiet and withdrawn, but that's understandable after everything she's been through."

"What's happening with James?" asked Edward.

"Apparently, Victoria told Charlie about his abuse, which has been happening since the beginning of their relationship, by all accounts."

"Poor girl," murmured Bella, not surprised at that information.

Carlisle nodded in agreement. "When they arrested him, they searched the trailer and his car and found a quantity of drugs. He'll probably be charged with drug possession as well as assault and battery."

"Good," said Edward, vehemently. "The longer he's put away for, the better."

After work, they went to Esme's house to see for themselves how Victoria was holding up. When they got there, Victoria was sitting out on the back verandah, lost in thought. Her eye was still swollen and the purple bruising was getting darker. Over the next few days it would gradually fade. The mental scars would take longer.

"Hey," said Bella softly, not wanting to startle her.

Victoria turned her head and gave them a small smile. "Hi."

Bella and Edward sat down on the nearby lounge. Esme came out with a pot of tea and several cups. She passed around the cups and sat down beside Victoria.

"I told Victoria that tea is much better for her at the moment. It helps to relax and has a lot of antioxidants," said Esme, smiling at Victoria.

"I've never really had tea before," said Victoria quietly. "I like it."

"How are you feeling?" asked Edward.

"A bit sore, especially my eye, but I'm ok," she replied, taking another sip of the soothing tea.

"Carlisle told us that my father came around earlier," said Bella, watching her face carefully.

Victoria nodded and sighed deeply. "Yes. He was so nice to me. Didn't push me, let me take my time."

"Yeah, he's a good guy," smiled Bella.

"I told him everything. About all the times he hit me, the drugs he took, even the robberies he's committed." Tears sprung into Victoria's eyes. "I feel so ashamed."

Esme took her hand and squeezed gently. "Dear, there's nothing to be ashamed of. You didn't do anything wrong."

"But I knew about his crimes and I kept quiet."

"You were powerless, Victoria," reassured Edward. "You have no family except James. He kept you reliant him by not allowing you to make friends and by using fear that he would hurt you if you disagreed or went against him. You are the victim here. It would take an extraordinarily brave person to try to escape from that situation without any sort of support whatsoever."

Victoria looked around the three of them, tears still falling down her face. "Why?"

"Why what, Victoria?" asked Bella.

"Why are you all helping me like this? Why would you help a total stranger?"

"You're not a stranger, you're our patient," smiled Edward.

"Who you've only met a handful of times. It just doesn't make sense," she cried.

Kindness like the Cullen's were showing didn't make any sort of sense to Victoria. From all her life experience, no-one did anything for anyone unless they wanted something. She couldn't remember a time when she hadn't been in foster care. All she knew about her family was that her mother had died of an overdose when she was only three. No-one knew who her father was. Since then, she had been in foster home after foster home, some good, some bad, some downright horrific. Just when she would get settled in a decent home, something would happen and she'd be moved on. This continued until she was sixteen and she met James.

At first, he seemed like a gift from some long-forgotten merciful god. He was handsome, sexy and gave her the attention she desperately craved. He made her feel beautiful, loved. He was five years older than her and it hadn't taken much for him to convince her to leave with him. Knowing that the authorities really wouldn't give a damn, they had thousands of other pressing cases, she'd packed her meagre belongings and left.

For the first few months, life had been as idyllic as Victoria had ever known. He initiated her into the delights of sex and if he was a bit too rough at times, Victoria accepted it as part of their lives together. And if she was often left unfulfilled, well, she knew no better and assumed that was what it was like for everyone.

The first time he hit her was a few months into their relationship. They were living in a trailer park in Nebraska and James was drinking with some of the other residents. Victoria got tired and left to go to bed. Shortly after, James followed and was in an amorous mood. When she said that she was too tired for sex, James struck her across the face. Victoria looked at him in shock and when he demanded sex, she acquiesced. Having been beaten in a number of foster homes, Victoria again assumed that this was how it was.

Nearly a year later, Victoria found herself pregnant. When she told James, he went into a rage and beat her up. During the night, she started bleeding. With the death of that baby, something in Victoria died as well. James successfully beat the will out of her. After that, she gave in to all his demands and accepted his punishments. She had nowhere to go, no-one to care.

When she fell pregnant again, Victoria felt the first stirrings of hope in her soul. She was determined to protect this baby with everything she had. She tiptoed around James, desperately trying to avoid his anger. She kept the news to herself as long as possible which was wise as he flew into a rage when he found out. This time though, Victoria fought back as much as she could. Surprised, James let it go, telling her that the brat she carried was hers and not to expect any help from him. She tried to do the best she could for her baby, eating as well as she could, getting check-ups when possible. Then somehow they had ended up here and now she was in this beautiful house, surrounded by people who seemed to care what happened to her and her baby. All her life, no-one had really cared.

Last night, as she cried, she had felt Esme's hand stroking her hair, soothing her, and Victoria wondered if that was what it felt like to have a mother's love. Amidst her tears, she had felt a warmth that she'd never felt before. Looking at Esme, Victoria wondered what her life would have been like if she'd had a mother like her.

Esme took hold of Victoria's free hand and gave it a squeeze. "It doesn't need to make sense, dear. Just know that you are welcome to stay with us as long as you want. It's been a long time since my children left home and I'm going to enjoy your company."

"I can't repay you," she whispered. "I don't have anything, any money."

"Now don't be silly. Does it look like we need money? You can pay me back by getting better, looking after yourself and having a healthy baby. And keeping me company. After the baby's born, we can see what you want to do."

"Did you ever have a dream of something you wanted to be when you were little?" asked Bella curiously.

Victoria smiled briefly before answering. "When I was a girl, I wanted to be a school teacher. To little kids, I mean. I always liked being around little kids. They didn't tease me because I was wearing clothes that didn't fit or were out of style," she said wistfully. Then she sighed sadly. "But I didn't even finish high school, so that's impossible now."

"Hey, nothing is impossible, Victoria," said Edward. "You can finish school by correspondence while the baby's little and then try to get into college."

"With what money?" she asked a little bitterly. Nothing was possible with no money. She'd be needing to find a job to support her child, not trying to reach some unattainable dream.

"Let's not worry about that now, ok dear? You're looking tired. How about a nice bath and I'll bring you some supper in bed? Or you can join Carlisle and I," suggested Esme.

Victoria nodded and left the room, thanking Bella and Edward again for helping her.

"Are you ok with all of this Mom?" asked Edward, worried that he was imposing too much on his mother's kindness.

"Of course it is. Like I said, I've been a bit lonely since you and Alice left home. Poor Victoria's never known a mother figure and she could do with a little mothering at this time. I just hope we've seen the end of that no good man who hurt her."

"Me too," agreed Edward.

Bella talked to Charlie about what was happening to James.

"I'm trying to find everything I can on him to build a case to get him locked up for as long as possible. Victoria gave us a lot of useful information and I'm contacting police in other states where she claims he committed crimes."

"So you think she'll be safe from him?"

"Well, I'm applying for a protection order for her. There'll be no problem getting that as it's obvious what he's done. The only thing I worry about is that he'll get bail."

"Surely not!"

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. "You'd think not, but he just has to get in front of some bleeding heart judge who thinks scum like him can be reformed or that they'll meet bail conditions and he'll grant it."

"When does he have his bail hearing?"

"Apparently there's quite a backlog of cases so it could take two to three weeks at least. In the meantime, he'll sit in jail where he deserves."

"The longer the better," commented Bella, with feeling.

Edward was brought out of his musings as he entered the busier Seattle traffic. They would be at the Fairmont soon. He'd made reservations for dinner at an upmarket restaurant after the concert. Then he planned to take Bella back to the hotel and hopefully spend a good part of the night making love with her. The thought brought a smile to his face.

As he neared the hotel, he reached out and brushed the hair off Bella's face. "Bella? Baby?"

Bella stirred and opened her eyes, slightly disoriented. "Huh? Where are we?"

"We're only a couple of minutes away."

Sitting up, Bella ran her fingers through her hair and checked herself in the mirror. No way did she want to walk into the Fairmont with drool on her chin. Happier that she was looking way more presentable than the last time she was here, Bella began getting excited for their getaway. It would be good to see Renee and even better staying the night here. She had some fond memories of this place and was looking forward to making more.

The sleep she'd had in the car seemed to have given her a boost of energy and she was fairly bouncing with excitement as Edward unlocked the door to their suite.

"Just like I remembered," she sighed happily as she entered the room, going straight to the bedroom. Edward watched her rediscover their little haven, an indulgent smile on his face.

Bella turned and reached up, curling her hands into his hair, pressing herself close. Edward's hands immediately closed around her waist, pressing soft kisses on her temple.

"You know what I feel like doing?" asked Bella coquettishly.

Edward felt his body stir at the tone of her voice. God, she could turn him on like a light switch! "What?" he smiled back.

Reaching up, she delicately licked his bottom lip with her tongue before taking it between her teeth and gently pulling. Edward groaned softly at her provocative move. Letting his lip go, Bella pulled back slightly. "I want to kick off our holiday by making love with you in that heavenly bed. Now," she demanded huskily.

With a soft growl, Edward quickly stripped them of their clothing and proceeded to fulfil Bella's every wish.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Putting the phone down, Edward walked back to the bedroom. "That was the concierge," he called out to Bella who was finishing putting on her makeup in the well-lit bathroom. "The limo will be here in five minutes."

"Nearly ready," she called out.

Rather than driving and struggling to find parking near the concert venue, Edward had hired a limo to chauffeur them around for the night. It added a romantic touch to their evening he thought. He even entertained the thought of making out with Bella in the limo. He'd never done that before. It sounded like fun.

He shrugged into his tuxedo jacket and was straightening the lapels when he heard Bella's footsteps behind him. "I'm looking forward to..." Edward's words petered out as he caught his first glimpse of Bella in her evening finery. "God, you are incredible!" he breathed in wonder.

Bella was dressed in a black, cocktail length dress that hugged her figure in all the right places. It was strapless, with a heart shaped bodice that hugged her breasts like a lover's hands. The satin showed off her curves and ended just above the knee in a scalloped edge. Around her waist was an ultra-slim diamonte-studded belt which seemed to accentuate her breasts and hips. Her legs were covered in sheer black stockings with black stilettos. She wore the earrings and necklace he'd given her for Christmas and her hand was simply adorned with his ring. She'd softly curled her hair so it hung down her back in waves. Her makeup was light but effective, her gorgeous brown eyes the highlight.

Bella nearly laughed at the look of astonishment on Edward's face which quickly turned to desire, his green eyes burning as he took in every inch of her. She had to admit that Edward looked delicious as well, in the tuxedo. She was tempted to suggest they stay here but instantly dismissed it. The sexual tension would add a delicious touch to the evening, especially if she let out little hints of how they would end the night.

"Is it time to go?" she asked innocently, enjoying his star-struck gaze. "Mmm, I hope this dress stays up like it's supposed to since I'm not wearing a bra." She delighted at Edward's soft groan as she subtly teased him.

Deciding retreat was the better part of valour at the moment, Edward led her out of the bedroom before he stripped that little black dress off her and ravaged her. He would have to be patient and wait until later for that. God, it's not like they hadn't made love only a couple of hours ago. She made him as horny as a teenager. Especially looking like that.

"Ready, love?" At her nod, he took her hand and led her down to the lobby, drawing the eyes of many of the other guests there. He wanted to growl at some the men who openly ogled Bella as they passed. The doorman opened the limo door and Edward handed her in, settling himself next to her. As requested there was a bottle of champagne and some flute glasses. "Champagne?" he asked, holding up the bottle.

"Yes please." Bella giggled as she took a sip of the bubbly liquid. "I feel so decadent, Edward. Champagne in a limousine, a chauffeur and a gorgeous man at my side. I must be dreaming."

Edward chuckled and kissed her gently. "I'm the one who's dreaming. You look so beautiful, you literally took my breath away."

Smiling seductively, she ran her fingertips over his bow tie, teasing the buttons on his shirt. She leaned over and placed a kiss on his throat, just above the neckline of his shirt, taking a long breath of his delicious scent. "Mmm, you smell nice," she said throatily.

Not wanting to mess up her makeup, Edward reciprocated by nuzzling her shoulder and placing small, teasing kisses on the base of her throat, delighting in the sound of Bella's accelerated breathing. Good, a little payback for getting him hot and bothered was in order. Licking the skin just below her ear, he heard her soft gasp of pleasure. "Like that?" he whispered against her skin.

"You know I do," she breathed, already aching for him.

He continued his ministrations on her throat and shoulders as his hand slowly traced over the silk covering her legs. His fingers luxuriated in the softness as they moved higher, over her knee and onto her thigh where they met the hem of her dress which had ridden up. Slowly, his fingers edged under the dress and began feeling higher as her breathing got more ragged. By now, Edward had a raging hard on and he knew he'd have to regain control of himself before they got to the concert hall, but he was enjoying himself too much to stop right now.

His fingers inched up and he was about to sit back in order to regain some sanity, when they came into contact with her skin, even softer and silkier than her stockings. He drew in a sharp breath as he realised she was wearing suspenders. The image was so erotic he had to pull his hand away and get some distance between them before he lost all control. Breathing heavily, Edward moved away from Bella, telling his body to calm down, trying to think dampening thoughts.

"What's wrong, honey?" asked Bella, her breathing heavier than normal. She knew full well what was wrong. She'd worn the stockings and suspenders deliberately. She was in seduction mode tonight.

"You know full well what's wrong?" he retorted, slowly pulling himself together. "I don't think you want me walking around in public with a raging hard on, do you?"

Bella giggled at his disgruntled expression. "Oh, poor baby. I wish I could make it better," she teased.

"You're the cause, and you know it, you minx."

The concert was as fantastic as they'd hoped although Edward was distracted several times during the evening when Bella would lay her hand on his thigh and delicately rub her hand in small circles. She was winding him up so tight and they still had dinner to get through. The restaurant was only a few minutes away so there was no time to fool around. They took their time over their meal although Edward had a hard time keeping his eyes off Bella's cleavage, especially when she leaned forward, giving him a glimpse of the heaven that lay beneath the material.

When he couldn't take any more of her seduction, he signalled for the bill. "Let's go. You're driving me crazy," he growled softly into her ear. Bella simply nodded in agreement.

Edward asked the driver to drive around until instructed otherwise and closed the screen, giving them total privacy.

Pulling Bella close, he kissed her hungrily, his pent up sexual tension leaving him aching. "God, you've got me so worked up, baby," he murmured before he indulged in their hot, open-mouthed kiss, over and over. Finally pulling his mouth from hers, he trailed his lips and tongue down her throat and over her shoulders.

Bella lay back against the seat, her body shivering with pleasure as Edward kissed and caressed her skin. "Oh Edward," she breathed as his hand moved up to cup her breast, smoothing the material over her naked skin. She tunnelled her fingers into his hair as he sucked gently on the skin of her throat.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered against her skin. "You take my breath away. Every morning that I wake up next you, I have to tell myself that I'm not still dreaming. I love you so much Bella. I adore you. I worship you."

His words had her pulling his mouth back to hers, needing to taste his essence, show him how much she loved him back. His hand was now moving more urgently over her body, skimming her waist and down her leg. By now, they were almost lying down on the long seat, the soft velvet cool against her heated skin.

Without warning, Edward's hand reached up and pulled the bodice of her dress down, exposing her breasts, her taut nipples tightening even further at the sudden cool air. The material bunched underneath, effectively lifting her breasts up for his pleasure. Edward looked at them, sucking in his breath, his pants painfully tight. Unable to resist their allure, he took one nipple into his mouth, suckling urgently on it while rolling the other between his fingers.

"Oh god!" cried Bella, her head falling back as sharp bolts of desire shot through her. She was so turned on that she could feel herself close to an orgasm. Every lick, every bite, every touch of her breast wound her tighter and tighter. "Edward, I...I...god...I think...I'm going to come."

Edward's body jerked in response to her words and it took all his control not to succumb to his orgasm then and there. She had never come close to climaxing from only having her breasts fondled and he desperately wanted to watch it happen tonight. "Let go, baby. Let it happen," he urged, resuming his ministrations. Bella's breathing was jerky and uncontrolled as he squeezed and rolled, burying his face between them. Pushing them together he licked from one nipple to the other before taking one and gently biting and pulling on it at the same time.

"Ohh!" moaned Bella, the invisible cord between her nipples and her centre winding tighter with his every movement.

"Yes, baby. Come for me. I want to watch you," he urged. He began licking and blowing on them, now painfully tight. "I love you," he muttered as he sucked hard.

Bella cried out softly as the cord snapped and a rush of pure pleasure shot through her as she climaxed, her pulse racing crazily. Edward watched her face become suffused with pleasure, her mouth open as she struggled for breath, her body covered in a blush. He didn't think he'd ever see anything more beautiful in his life. Gently stroking her skin, he helped her come down from her high, delighting that he'd given her pleasure.

Trying to regain her senses, Bella kissed him languidly before resting her forehead against his. "That's never happened before," she told him, awe in her voice.

"Did you enjoy it?" he asked, knowing the answer full well.

She grinned at him. "What do you think? I didn't think it was possible."

Gently palming her breast, he heard her catch her breath again. "Neither did I but I'm sure glad it was. Your breasts are incredible."

"God, I love you," she breathed against his mouth. Her hand reached down and cupped his erection.

Edward hissed at the heat of her hand. He was so hard it was painful. "Bella, please. Let me love you," he pleaded. Bella undid his zipper and put her hand inside his trousers, taking hold of his erection and squeezing lightly. Edward groaned and bucked into her hand. "Please baby. I'm so close and I need to be inside you," he breathed, taking her hand from him, knowing a few more strokes and he'd be gone.

Taking pity on him, Bella pushed him back so he lay down on the seat. Watching the taut desire on his face, she pulled open his trousers and pushed them and his underwear down his legs. His erection sprang free, taut and aching. Unable to help herself, she leaned down and kissed the tip of his penis before taking just the head into her mouth.

"God, baby!" he groaned, pulled her mouth away. "I'm too worked up and I want to come inside you." Deciding they had all night, Bella smiled at him and leaned back. Seductively, she pulled up the skirt of her dress, revealing her creamy thighs encased in black lace, the suspenders holding the stockings up. Edward's heart nearly leapt out of his chest as he saw the lace panties that barely covered her. His manhood twitched in anticipation of being buried in her heat. "God baby," he muttered. "Those should be illegal."

Bella giggled, delighted at his reaction. "Then you wouldn't reap the benefits of them making me feel so sexy, would you?" As she spoke, she pulled down the panties and took them off. Edward felt like his heart would burst out of his chest as he watched her, her womanhood surrounded by black lace, glistening with desire for him. Reaching for her, her pulled her down over his body, both of them gasping as his erection brushed her centre. Their tongues duelled as she rocked against him, driving them both wild.

"Bella!" he gasped as her centre nearly scalded him. "Please. Take me inside you."

Sitting up, Bella lifted herself up as she took him in her hand and guided him into her body, both of them sighing with pleasure and relief as he smoothly filled her. When he was fully buried, Bella stopped moving, letting herself savour the feel of him, the gentle rocking of the car as it moved through the city streets, adding a touch of decadence to their lovemaking.

"You feel so good, baby," breathed Edward. "So good."

Bella wordlessly nodded in agreement before rolling her hips in a circle, enjoying Edward's moan of pleasure at her movements. His hands caressed the skin above the stockings before moving up, pushing the material of her dress up so he could touch the skin of her stomach. Bella's breath hitched in her throat as his fingers traced the contours of her stomach and hips while her movements became more urgent.

Looking down at him, Bella realised that for all intents and purposes, they were both still fully dressed. Edward had taken off his jacket but he was still wearing his bow tie and shirt, as well as his trousers, even if they were pushed down to his feet. As for her, she was only missing her panties, although her dress was only a scrap of material at her middle. She found the image so erotic that she began riding him harder, shivers of pleasure coursing through her body.

Edward bit his lip in order to stop himself coming straight away. She looked so sexy and hot over him, her breasts bouncing from her movements, her stocking covered legs touching the skin of his waist, driving him wild. Wanting her to come again before he allowed himself his orgasm, he took one breast in his hand, his thumb flicking over her nipple while the other moved down, grazing her nub with his fingers.

"Ahh!" breathed Bella as she moved frantically over him, his length caressing her inner walls with every movement. Combined with his fingers, she could feel her body getting closer and closer to its peak. Unable to stop the whimpers of pleasure that emerged from her mouth, she leaned down and put her hands on his chest, in order to gain more leverage. Looking into his passion filled face, she bucked up and down urgently, ripples of pleasure beginning to radiate from where they were joined.

When Edward took hold of her hips and pulled her down forcefully while thrusting up into her at the same time, the tension snapped. Bella cried out as the ripples became a tidal wave that rushed through her body as she climaxed violently, her whole body shaking with the force of it. As she felt Edward lengthen even further inside her, wave after wave of pleasure kept surging through her, stealing her breath as the overload of sensation left her lightheaded.

Edward knew the instant that Bella's climax began, her walls tightening rhythmically on his engorged member. It was too much, and he groaned loudly as he lengthened even more before jerking violently and spilling himself into her. He felt his climax in every pore of his body, the pleasure almost painful in its intensity.

Feeling utterly boneless, Bella flopped down onto his chest, both of them struggling to draw breath into their deprived lungs. Edward's arms closed over her waist as he kissed her hair before laying back. The movements of the limo were lulling them to sleep and Edward had to fight to keep his eyes open.

"Baby?" he whispered.

"Hmm?"

"We have to go back to the hotel before we fall asleep."

"'kay" she mumbled into his chest but didn't move.

Smiling tenderly, he struggled to sit up. Without much help from her, Edward leant back against the seat, Bella still wrapped around him, her head on his shoulder. He kissed her cheek and tried to rouse her again. "Come on baby," he said gently. "We need to get ourselves straightened before we get back."

Bella sat up and smiled sleepily at him, giving him a soft kiss. "Mmm, I love you."

"Oh baby, I love you too," he replied against her lips. "Come on, you can sleep when we get back."

"Mmm, you wore me out."

Edward chuckled. "You were the one calling the shots, baby. _You_ wore _me_ out."

Laughing, Bella got off him and looked around for her panties. She was about to put them on when she felt Edward's hand on her arm and turned to him, puzzled.

"Leave them off," he asked throatily.

Despite her weariness, Bella's body instantly responded to his request. It was going to be a long night. Not that she was complaining.

Not taking his eyes off her, Edward asked the driver to take them back to the hotel and they straightened their clothing.

Pulling her onto his lap, they kissed languidly all the way back to the hotel.

It was the early hours of the morning before they fell into an exhausted sleep.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"Ready for the full 'Renee Experience'?" joked Bella as the plane's captain announced they were descending into Jacksonville.

Edward lifted her hand up to his face, kissing each finger before answering. "Of course. How much different can she be in person?"

"You have no idea," she laughed.

"I'm looking forward to it," he grinned back.

Bella gripped Edward's hand as the plane skidded onto the runway. She hated this bit but Edward's comforting presence made it bearable. Bella yawned widely as they got their bags from the overhead lockers. It was very late here and all those hours of flying, combined with their very late night had made her extremely sleepy.

"Here, I'll take that." Edward's hand reached up and grabbed Bella's bag and followed her up the aisle towards the exit.

Edward knew the instant that Renee spotted them. A woman's squeal from amongst the crowd awaiting passengers alerted them to her presence.

"Oh God. Brace yourself," warned Bella, half-jokingly.

Sound advice as Renee pushed her way through the bodies around her and grabbed Bella in a hug then turned to Edward, wrapping her arms around him, nearly knocking the breath out of him.

"Ahh Mom? If you want us to actually get married, you'd better let him breathe," came Bella's wry observation, accompanied by Phil's chuckle as he hugged Bella.

To Edward's relief, Renee let go and stepped back, grinning from ear to ear.

"It's great to finally meet you both," said Edward, shaking Phil's hand.

"Oh, I'm so excited you're both here!" cried Renee, taking both their hands in each of hers. She took a good look at Edward before turning to Bella. "Well, baby, you hit the jackpot with Edward here, didn't you?"

Bella groaned inwardly, an embarrassed blush washing over her. "Mom!" She looked at Edward's amused face as he read her expression.

"I think I'm the one who hit the jackpot, Renee," argued Edward.

Renee looked at him and sighed. "Handsome _and_ charming." Curling a hand around both their arms, she led them out of the airport. "Come on, you two lovebirds. It's late and you both look worn out."

It was a lovely, balmy night and Bella was glad that she had worn a t-shirt.

"Have you been to Jacksonville before, Edward?" asked Renee.

"To Florida, but not Jacksonville."

"Well, there are some nice beaches nearby. I'm sure you and Bella would enjoy spending a few hours in the sun and relaxing."

"That sounds like heaven. It's been a hectic few weeks," agreed Edward, taking hold of Bella's hand.

"I was sorry to hear about Billy. How's Charlie taking it?"

"Better than I expected although I know he misses Billy a lot," replied Bella, deciding to keep mum on the subject of Kara. She didn't think Charlie would appreciate her gossiping about his burgeoning love-life.

"They were friends for a long time," said Renee sadly.

Back at Renee and Phil's, Bella briefly wondered whether she and Edward would have to sleep in separate bedrooms and was ready to argue her case against it. Unsurprisingly, Renee told them that her room was all ready for them.

"It's late and you're both tired, so go to bed and we'll catch up on all our gossip tomorrow morning," she suggested, giving them both a kiss and hug goodnight.

As they got into bed, Bella turned into his arms. "Don't take this the wrong way, but do you mind if we don't make love while we're here?" she asked, looking at him. "It's just that I'd feel really weird doing it in the same house as my mother."

Edward chuckled and held her closer. "Of course not, love. I know what you mean. As long as I get to hold you close, that's enough for me. Until we go home, of course," he qualified with a sexy grin.

"So, you had a small taste of the phenomenon that is Renee. What did you think?" she asked curiously.

"I loved your mom. I'm looking forward to getting to know her over the next few days. I doubt I'll be bored."

"That you won't," agreed Bella, closing her eyes.

Giving her one last kiss, Edward turned off the lights, both of the drifting off the sleep within moments.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: Hope you liked that. Let me know.**

**To my fellow Aussies - happy Australia Day on Tuesday, have a good one!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hi again everyone. A huge thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, alerted, favourited, etc. You all make my day. **

**A big thanks to MrsKatyCullen for checking it for me and to Karen for her information about Jacksonville.**

**Enjoy**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 22

A brief knock on the door was the only warning.

"Hey guys! I've brought you a morning cup of coffee," said Renee in a loud whisper.

Bella groaned and sat up groggily, brushing her hair of her face. Edward was struggling to sit up, his hair sticking up crazily about his head. She'd forgotten to warn him that Renee was one of these disgustingly cheery morning people. Thanking providence that neither of them was naked, she greeted her mother.

"Thanks Mom. You didn't have to do that," she said huskily, not quite awake yet. _No, really Mom, you shouldn't have_, she thought wryly.

Crossing the room, a large smile on her face, Renee placed the tray with the coffee over Bella's legs, then sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the both of them.

"Oh, you two look so cute together," she gushed, clapping her hands.

Bella groaned inwardly and stole a look at Edward. He looked like he was still trying to process what was happening.

"Mom! You're embarrassing Edward," complained Bella.

"I am not!," denied Renee as she turned to Edward. "I haven't embarrassed you, have I?"

"Ahh…um…no, of course not. Thanks for the coffee, Renee," he replied, taking a sip of the coffee, using it to stop from bursting out laughing.

"See? Edward's not embarrassed. It's just lovely to see you both here. Anyway, come out when you're ready and I'll get you some breakfast," she said, heading to towards the door. Giving them one last grin, she left.

Bella put the coffee down on the bedside table and flopped back on the bed with a groan, covering her face with her hands. She could hear Edward chuckling beside her as he lay back as well.

"Oh God! I warned you, didn't I?" came her muffled words.

"That you did. I thought you might have exaggerated, but apparently not," he laughed.

"Now you see why I don't want to have sex while we're here? She could burst in here at any time. I would just die if she caught us 'in the act'. Mom just doesn't have a filter between thought and action."

"I think she's charming," reassured Edward.

"She is. She is. But you know what would be the worst thing? She wouldn't even be embarrassed. She'd probably just give us some helpful tips!"

Edward roared with laughter at that. He could just imagine it. Bella's mouth twitched and before long, she was laughing along with him.

"Come on love. Let's not keep Renee waiting," he urged as he got out bed, the odd chuckle still rocking his body.

Even though it only early April, the weather was lovely and warm. Edward let out a soft wolf-whistle when he saw Bella in her denim shorts and pink t-shirt.

"Very nice," he said, gazing appreciatively at her legs. "I'm tempted to move you to warmer climes just so I can see your legs more often."

Bella threw her pyjama top at his head. "Pervert!"

Grabbing her by the waist, he nuzzled her shoulder, sending her into a fit of giggles. "I like that. The dirty old lecher taking advantage of the innocent young miss. Ooh, what fun I could have," he leered jokingly, putting on an old man's voice.

"Stop that!" laughed Bella, extricating herself from his clutches.

Still laughing, they walked hand in hand into the kitchen, where Renee urged them to sit down whilst she placed a pile of toast on the table. She already had an assortment of jams and preserves to choose from as well as a pot of coffee.

"Help yourself guys," she urged. "If you prefer cereal, Edward..."

"Thanks Renee, but toast is fine," he reassured her, grabbing a slice.

Renee joined them, grabbing a cup of coffee.

"Where's Phil?" asked Bella, in between bites.

"Oh, a friend is moving house today and he promised he'd give them a hand. He'll be back later. He's got training this afternoon."

"Training?" asked Edward.

"Yes, he's on the training staff for the Suns, our local baseball team. He's been with them since he retired from playing. Too bad you won't be here for one of the games."

"Maybe next time."

"So, do you guys have anything planned while you're here?" asked Renee, her face full of enthusiasm.

Bella shook her head. "Not really. We really wanted to spend time with you and play it by ear."

"Aw, that's nice, sweetie," gushed Renee. "Well, how about I take you both out sightseeing this morning? I've booked us a table at a bar and grill at Jacksonville Beach, with great views of the ocean for dinner."

"That sounds great Mom," said Bella, looking at Edward for confirmation.

"Yeah, sounds good," agreed Edward.

"Great. Let's get ready then," urged Renee, grabbing cutlery to load in the dishwasher. Bella and Edward helped and in no time they were on their way into the centre of the city. Renee parked in a public car park and led them towards the River walk on the northern bank of the St Johns River. Ambling along, she pointed out sights of interest in between asking them innumerable questions.

"So, have you guys set a date for the wedding yet?" she asked.

"Not yet, Mom."

"Why not? What's the point in waiting?"

"We just haven't, ok?" said Bella in exasperation. "We'll get around to it, I promise."

"Believe me Renee, I can't wait to marry Bella, but it's been hectic lately and we haven't gotten around to it. My sister's been nagging us about it, believe me," said Edward.

"Good. I think I may have to arrange a co-ordinated nagging campaign with her if you two don't get your butts into gear," she threatened.

Bella just shuddered at the thought of being harassed on all sides. "Ok, ok, we'll work it out soon."

Mollified, Renee returned to her tourist spiel, pointing out the Friendship Fountain, the city's most recognisable landmark.

"You should see it at night," said Renee. "It's all lit up and it's really pretty."

They weren't far from a number of cafes and restaurants when Bella suddenly felt a wave of dizziness hit her. Reaching out, she grabbed Edward's hand and lowered her head forward, trying to fight it off.

"Bella? What's wrong love?" he asked, worry lacing his voice.

"What's the matter, baby?" asked Renee, leading them towards a bench seat.

Sitting down gratefully, Bella began feeling better. The dizziness seemed to have passed and she was feeling fine again. She looked at Edward and Renee, wanting to reassure them.

"I'm ok, I just felt dizzy for a moment, that's all. It's gone now," she reassured them.

Edward took hold of her face and looked closely into her eyes, trying to gauge for himself how she was. "Are you sure? You're a little pale."

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just not used to the heat and it's nearly lunchtime."

"It's quite mild, but fairly warm compared to Forks," agreed Renee. "Let's go and get some lunch."

After a leisurely lunch, they walked back to the car and headed back home. Phil was back and was changed into his training gear.

Edward, who was passionate about baseball, was peppering him with questions about the team and its prospects for the season. Renee and Bella looked at each other in amusement as the two men became absorbed with facts and statistics, forgetting the other room's occupants.

"Hey, Edward? Want to come to training with me? You can watch the drills and maybe even have a bit of hit with the guys," suggested Phil.

Edward's eyes lit up with delight. "You sure? That would be great."

"Of course."

Getting up from the seat, Edward remembered he wasn't alone. Turning a chagrined face to Bella, he was relieved to see her laughing at him.

"Go, Edward. Knock yourself out," she urged, making a shooing motion with her hands.

Grinning, he leant down and gave her quick kiss and turned to follow Phil out.

"Don't forget about dinner tonight, Phil," warned Renee. "Don't you boys forget about everything and get back late or there'll be hell to pay!"

"Sure honey," promised Phil as he left the room.

"I'll make sure we get back in time, Renee."

"Ok, have fun dear," said Renee, shaking her head. "Boys! It doesn't matter how old they are."

While the boys were out, Bella and Renee lay on the sun beds in the backyard, chatting. The warmth of the sun, combined with the busy morning made Bella really drowsy and it wasn't long before she fell asleep, unaware of the speculative look in her mother's eyes as she looked at her.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Edward walked into the bedroom, his eyes shining and slightly grubby from having slid along the ground few times. He was pulling his t-shirt off in order to get in the shower when Bella came out with a towel wrapped around her body.

"Mmm, is this what you're wearing tonight?" he teased lightly, wrapping his arms around her. "I approve heartily." He gave her a heart-stopping kiss, nibbling on her lips, his hands wandering.

Bella was sorely tempted to throw him back on the bed and have her way with him but pulled away reluctantly instead. Leaning back in the circle of his arms, she grinned up at him. "Thank you, but I think the management might be a bit upset."

"True," he agreed. "And my blood pressure would probably go through the roof."

"You poor old man!" she teased. "So, did you enjoy your afternoon?"

Edward let her go and sat down on the bed. "Oh man, it was great! I watched them run through their training drills and at the end they had a practice game. Phil had me join in and it was awesome. My shoulders are going to be complaining tomorrow but it was worth it. I haven't played baseball for so long and I never realised how much I missed it."

"And did you score a couple of home runs?" she asked, looking at his filthy shirt with amusement.

"Nah, but it was close," he grinned.

Bella watched the animation on his face with affection. She imagined this is what Edward would have looked like as a boy, coming home from a Little League game, brimming with excitement and eager to tell his mother about his home run. He looked so cute, that she couldn't stop herself from hugging him tightly. Edward took the opportunity to kiss her deeply, neither of them aware of just how they ended up tangled on the bed, Bella's towel in a heap on the floor.

When he took one of her breasts in his hands, raising it up to his mouth, Bella was ready to throw all scruples to the wind and beg him to make love to her. Unfortunately, or fortunately she would think later, when she _could_ think, Edward came to his senses, giving her nipple a soft kiss and sitting up. Bella couldn't help the moan of frustration as Edward bent down, picked up her towel and wrapped it around her.

"I know, baby. Believe me, I know," he whispered huskily, his voice heavy with desire. "I'd better go have that shower now. A cold one." Caressing her cheek lightly, he walked into the bathroom.

Bella lay taking deep breaths, trying to get her body to settle down. Although she knew Renee wasn't any sort of prude and probably expected them to have sex, Bella still had a problem with it. Although a few minutes more with Edward and all scruples would have flown out the window.

Shaking her head wryly, she got up and began getting ready for dinner. She was just drying her hair when Edward walked back into the room with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Looking at him in the mirror, Bella could almost feel her mouth water at the sight. He was so beautifully proportioned, it took her breath away even after all these months. Edward turned and caught her hungry gaze on him, his eyes smouldering in response. Lord, they were both so turned on, how the hell were they going to keep their hands off each other tonight?

Renee and Phil were waiting for them in the lounge. "You look lovely," she exclaimed as she saw Bella in the red sundress Alice had persuaded her to buy. "Don't they make a gorgeous couple, Phil?" Phil simply nodded, grinning at their discomfort.

"Come on guys. I've booked us a table at Sneakers Bar & Grill on Jacksonville Beach. The food is delicious but it's also got dancing and great views over the water." Taking Edward by the elbow, she led them out to the car. "And I'm determined to have a dance with you, Edward. Call it practice for the wedding."

The restaurant was loud and lively when they arrived. The waiter gave them the menu as he seated them, telling them he'd return shortly to take their orders. Renee had requested an outdoor table, in order to enjoy the views and the balmy evening.

"This is great, Renee," enthused Edward as he looked out over the ocean. In the dim light, the white caps of breaking waves were the only things visible in the expanse of the ocean, apart from the lights of a few boats in the distance.

"I thought you guys would appreciate it. One of the benefits of living in a warm climate is that we like to take advantage of the outdoors and there are many outdoor cafes and restaurants. It's so pleasant to sit outside, feel the breeze and see the stars while you eat," said Renee.

Bella agreed. "It is one thing I wish we had in Forks. Being able to eat outdoors more often. If we did, we'd probably drown or freeze," she chuckled. "Still, it's home."

Edward took her hand. "Yeah. I'm very attached to the place."

Renee just sighed as she looked at the two of them. They were simply adorable.

The evening was full of laughs and conversation, the guys fully appreciating their succulent ribs. Later in the evening, the dancing started, the music a mixture of songs from all eras, all lively and good to dance to.

"Come on Edward. Time to take your future mother-in-law for a spin on the dance floor!" exclaimed Renee, who had consumed her fair share of cocktails during the night. Grabbing Edward by the hand, she led him through the crowd and onto the dance floor.

Bella couldn't help laughing at the sight of a very bemused Edward trying to keep up with her mother. Renee was like a whirling dervish, spinning around, arms in the air, bumping into people around her who quickly gave her a wide berth. It was exhausting just watching her.

"She hasn't danced for a while," said Phil, as if that explained Renee's manic dancing.

"I can tell," laughed Bella. "Poor Edward. It looks like he's gone down the self-preservation route and just trying to avoid her flying limbs." They watched the performance for a while longer and then got up to dance. "If you can't beat 'em..."

"Hey guys!" cried Renee. "Isn't this just the greatest fun? Edward here is a great dancer." Leaning closer to Bella, she made a very poor attempt at a whisper. "You know what they say about men who dance well, don't you?" she said, giving Edward pointed glances.

Bella blushed brightly, thankfully able to hide it in the dimmed lights. _God, someone kill me now_, she thought. Not being a confident dancer, Bella mainly swayed in place.

"Bella, come on! Get down with it baby girl!" urged Renee, shaking her booty around, much to the amusement of those around her. "You call that dancing?"

Edward burst out laughing at Bella's expression. "Is it true?" he whispered in her ear, sending a shiver of desire down Bella's back. She sent him a puzzled look. "About good dancers?" Bella tried to give him a withering glare but ending up giggling as well.

"Being good in bed? It's very true," she whispered back.

"Renee, do you mind if we swap partners? Bella and I don't often get much chance to dance back home."

"Of course!" she exclaimed, grabbing Bella and almost throwing her into Edward's arm. "Come on Phil. Let's show these youngsters how it's done!" The chagrined look on Phil's face was priceless.

Holding her close, their arms entwined, the two of them swayed to the music, regardless of the beat. Renee had wrought a trail of destruction on the dance floor, Phil just trailing in her wake.

"Is she like that all the time?" asked Edward, shaking his head.

"Pretty much. Although she's been aided and abetted by all those cocktails," replied Bella. "Always the life of any party."

"Thank god you rescued me. I thought I was going to collapse from trying to keep up with her!" exaggerated Edward, a twinkle in his eye. "How does Phil do it?"

"Practice," she replied.

Several songs later, the DJ played a few romantic tunes, much to their delight. Holding her close with barely a breath of space between them, they swayed slowly, just enjoying the closeness.

"It's been fun today," he murmured into her ear. Bella nodded in agreement. "Phil suggested we take the car tomorrow and head over to the beach. What do you think?"

"Sounds good. We can explore the area."

Edward gradually moved them towards the edge of the dance floor where he took her hand and led her outside. Grateful to escape the din for a few moments, they walked over to the balcony railing. Bella leaned on it, Edward pressed up behind her, his hands on either side of hers.

"Happy?" he murmured, giving her a soft kiss on the nape of her neck.

"Mmm hmm," came the reply as she leaned back against him, enjoying the way he seemed to surround her. "I'm always happy when I'm with you."

"Good answer," he chuckled, leaning his chin against her hair. Neither of them said a word for a few minutes, both of them just enjoying their closeness as they watched the lights of the boats on the water.

"There they are!" Renee's voice broke their reverie. Reaching them, Renee leaned back against the railing, gripping it rather tightly. "Whew, that was fun! Wasn't that fun, Phil?"

"Yes, hon."

Renee gave a loud hiccup then began giggling. "Whoops! I...I...think I've had...a bit...too...too, (hiccup)...much to...drink."

Bella felt Edward chuckle into her hair, his body shaking with mirth.

"Ok hon. I think it's past your bedtime," said Phil, putting his arm around his wife and gently leading her towards the door. "Shall we head home?" Phil asked them.

"Sure thing, Phil. It's been a fun night," agreed Bella.

Renee rambled about anything and everything on the way home. Edward and Bella sat in the back trying not laugh.

"They're adorable, aren't they Phil?" asked Renee, her words slightly slurred

"Who?"

"Bella and Edward of course! Aren't they the cutest couple you ever saw?"

"Yes, hon," he replied non-commitally. Edward grinned at Bella.

"Don't you think they'll make the most gorgeous babies? Yep, gorgeous babies..." she said, her voice trailing off as sleep started to take hold.

Bella's grin instantly disappeared at the statement, squeezing Edward's hand in an attempt to apologise for Renee's words, even though she had no knowledge of Edward's circumstances. Edward simply looked at her and mouthed the words, _"it's ok,"_ to let her know he wasn't upset.

Back at the house, they helped Phil get Renee inside before heading back to their bedroom. Bella was still feeling awkward about Renee's faux pas and got ready for bed without saying much.

When Edward joined her in bed, he pulled her close. "Hey, I'm not upset, you know," he tried to reassure her, aware that she was feeling bad for him. "Renee has no way of knowing and she didn't mean anything malicious. She was tipsy."

Bella sighed and leaning into his chest. "I know. She was just rambling. I just felt...I don't know," she said frustratedly.

"Bella, don't feel bad. I don't. People don't know and it's something that will come up, especially when we get married." He stroked her hair as he talked. "Naturally Renee will assume that we'll have children. It's normal. I'd be more surprised if she didn't."

"You're right, I shouldn't feel defensive about it." Deciding to change the subject, she settled down lower in the bed, feeling sleepy even though she hadn't had much to drink, only a couple of daiquiris. "It was fun though, wasn't it?"

"I won't forget it quickly, that's for sure," he chuckled. "I thought I was going to pass out on the dance floor. I don't know how Renee does it."

Bella giggled. "I did warn you, didn't I?"

"That you did."

o-o-o-o-o-o

It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day as Edward drove towards Jacksonville Beach. He had a cooler with food and drinks and everything else needed to spend a few hours lazing on a beach. Bella was watching the scenery flash past, a happy smile on her face. Edward felt complete at this very moment.

"Mom definitely looked worse for wear this morning," said Bella, smiling at him.

Edward nodded in amusement. "I don't envy her this morning. In fact, I don't envy anyone. Why would I when I have the perfect woman next to me, a beautiful day and the prospect of spending hours alone together."

"And all the other beach goers," she pointed out. "And I'm not perfect."

"You are to me," he replied, taking her hand.

"You sweet talker you."

"Hey, I'm only stating a fact," he argued. Bella just shook her head at him.

They arrived at Jacksonville Beach and decided to go for a leisurely stroll. It was still relatively early and there were only a few people dotted around the long beach, since it was a work day for most. They walked hand in hand along the long pier that jutted out from the shore, exchanging hello's with the few people who were fishing off it. Reaching the end, they sat down on a seat, Edward wrapping his arm around Bella's shoulder, pulling her close.

"It's so relaxing, isn't it?" he said, leaning his head against hers.

"Yeah. It's so calm at the moment. Still, I really love the wildness of the beaches back home. It's so elemental, untamed. I don't think I've ever seen the sea there as calm as this. I know that it's not always like this here, but back on the Peninsula you just wouldn't ever take the sea for granted."

"Feeling a little homesick?"

"A little," she admitted. "It would be a hundred times worse if you weren't here with me."

"So you wouldn't consider living anywhere other than Forks?" he asked curiously.

Bella looked at him. "Why?"

"No reason. I'm just curious. You're such a part of Forks that I really can't imagine you in any other setting."

"If I had to leave, I would, but it would be hard. I know it's cold and it rains a lot but it's home. And it's beautiful too. The forests that are so primeval in many ways, the greenness of everything. It always seems so clean, like the rain washes away the dirt, leaving it pure and fresh. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see more of the world, visit new places but my heart would always pull me back home."

Edward kissed her forehead tenderly. "Well, I'd love to show you some beautiful places around the world but I know I'd have to bring you home before too long."

Neither said much for a while, lost in their own thoughts. Edward broke the silence first.

"Bella, do you think we should start thinking about setting a date for our wedding?"

"I think that's a good idea," she smiled back at him. "I was going to bring it up while we were here but you've beaten me to it."

"You were? Wow, great minds really _do_ think alike," he teased. "Seriously though, do you have any preference for when? As far as I'm concerned, I'd marry you today but you probably want something a bit fancier."

"You really would marry me today if I asked?" she asked softly.

"Of course. Anywhere. Anytime. I love you and want you to be my wife."

Bella turned his head so she could kiss him. Edward cupped the back of her head and held her still while he lovingly caressed her mouth, nibbling on her lips, loving the taste of her. When they pulled apart, Bella's eyes were shining.

"And I want you to be my husband, but we'd disappoint too many people if we just eloped. Alice would never forgive us, even if she is your sister."

"I suppose so," sighed Edward. "But I don't want to wait months and months to marry you."

"Neither do I. I wouldn't mind a late summer, early fall wedding."

"Around August or September? Would that be enough time?"

"I don't see why not," she replied. "I don't want a big wedding, just something intimate for our families and closest friends. It can't take that long to organise and with Alice to help, it should be more than possible."

"You mean with Alice to take over, don't you?"

"Probably," she laughed. "I don't really care. As long as I'm there, you're there and someone to marry us is there, that's all want."

"Okay, we'll work on sometime in September then. When we get back, we can enlist Alice's help to get the ball rolling."

"Sounds good."

"I can't wait to call you Mrs Cullen," he whispered against her lips.

"I can't wait to be called Mrs Cullen," she replied. "I love you Mr Cullen."

"And I love you, Mrs Cullen-to-be."

Their kiss was gentle, sweet, an expression of the love they felt for the other. As always, the passion was there, but it was a quietly simmering passion, ready to boil over at the slightest touch or look.

Arms wrapped around each other, they slowly walked back along the pier and headed towards the car. Phil had suggested they head down to Ponte Vedra Beach.

"Phil suggested this beach because he said it's quiet, surrounded by fantastic homes and off the tourist track. We can spend couple of hours in the sun."

"Sounds nice and I won't scare everyone away with my ghostly white skin," joked Bella.

Carrying their gear they walked onto the beach and walked along the water's edge, admiring the beautiful and expensive homes, with their million dollar views over the blue ocean. They passed the occasional walker, patted a dog or two before deciding on a spot to lay out their towels.

"Here love, let me put sunscreen on you." Grabbing the sunscreen, he rubbed it into her back and legs, thoroughly enjoying himself. He deliberately lingered on the sides of her breasts, and on her inner thighs listening to her breathing get heavier with each stroke.

"Turn around, love, and I'll do your front."

Bella sat up and took the bottle from him. "Oh no you don't! That was very naughty of you, getting me all worked up like that. Come on, lie down. It's my turn."

Obeying instantly, Edward lay down on his stomach. "I was only making sure that your skin was properly covered. I wouldn't want you to get sunburned," he claimed with mock sincerity.

"_Sure_ you where." She proceeded to give Edward back a little of his own torture back, loving his soft groans of pleasure as she caressed his behind and his legs, getting dangerously close to where he really wanted her hands.

"God, baby! I can't get up now. It'll be obvious to a blind man what you've done to me," he groaned. Bella just giggled at his predicament.

"The water's cold," she suggested innocently.

"Yeah, but getting there's a bit of problem at the moment, you minx."

"I'm sure no-one will see. Your shorts are loose enough. You just don't want to get in the water," she teased. Giving him a sharp tap on his behind, she jumped up and ran towards the water. "Last one in's a rotten egg!"

Laughing, she nearly made it into the water before he caught her, picked her up, giggling and squirming and carried her into the water before unceremoniously dumping her into it. Standing up, spluttering and pushing wet strands of hair out of her eyes, she lunged at him, knocking them both off balance, dunking them under a small breaking wave.

"So who's the rotten egg now?" he chuckled, pulling her close as he braced his legs against the force of the water.

"You are, for dumping me like that," she pouted.

"At least the water's warmer than at home, I bet," he grinned, nuzzling her neck.

"You have no idea."

They played in the water for a while, Bella wrapping her arms and legs around him, the water supporting her weight, allowing Edward's hands to wander all over her. The buffeting of the water caused Bella to rub up against Edward's erection, which had sprung back to life after the shock of the cold.

"You should stop doing that," he groaned against her neck, licking the saltiness of her skin.

"Doing what? I'm not doing anything," she said innocently before rolling her hips against him again.

"Tease." Deciding it was time for a little payback, Edward slipped his finger under the elastic of Bella bikini pants. He heard her gasp of pleasure as he slipped between her folds, stroking the delicate skin that, despite the cold water, was deliciously warm

"Oh god!" she moaned against his ear, rocking herself against his hardness. "Don't stop."

"No," he murmured before capturing her lips again. Kissing passionately, his tongue mimicking what his finger was doing to her sex, they lost touch with reality. Inserting two fingers, he quickly pumped them into her, the thumb of his other hand rubbing her clit. He could hear her soft whimpers against his hair as she rolled her hips frenetically against his aching erection.

"Are you nearly there?" he whispered. At her nod, he resumed stimulating her, his fingers working steadily, bringing her closer and closer to release.

"Oh god, Edward. I'm gonna come," she moaned urgently, her breathing harsh.

"Come on baby," he encouraged, kissing her deeply.

Pinching her clit and rolling it between his fingers was the catalyst for Bella to come apart in his arms. Whimpering with pleasure she bucked against his fingers as her orgasm surged through her. Breathing rapidly, she quickly came back to earth and could feel his penis pressing against her.

Reaching down, she snaked her hand into his shorts and grasped his rigid erection, squeezing tightly as she stroked him.

"Oh baby, that feels good." She began stroking him harder and harder, enjoying his groans of pleasure. "Baby, I'm going to come," he warned. In the next instant, he hissed loudly and she felt the warm spurt against her hand that instantly cooled in the sea water.

To the casual observer they looked like a couple of young lovers holding each other tight, no sign of what had transpired underneath the waves visible.

They were both still breathless as they grinned at each other before kissing gently for a few moments.

"I'm going to turn into a prune soon," complained Bella.

"You'll be the sexiest prune I've ever seen." Releasing her, they waded out of the ocean and made their way back to their towels.

"Well, that was the best swim in the ocean I've ever had," grinned Edward as they lay in the sun, letting its rays warm them up.

"Me too."

A couple of hours later, they got ready to leave. After a last quick dip, they packed up the remnants of their lunch and their towels and strolled back to the car.

"Now, that's an impressive house," commented Edward, pointing to a large house made up of nearly all glass where it faced the ocean. "Imagine the views."

Bella looked up at it thoughtfully. "It's certainly a grand house but you know what? I prefer your parent's house. If I had the choice, I'd pick that one over any of these houses."

With his free arm, Edward pulled her close and kissed her temple gently.

The sun, sea, fresh air, not to mention their water activities made Bella quite drowsy and it wasn't long before she fell into a light doze on the water back to Renee's. Edward's hand gently rousing her alerted her to their arrival.

"Go have your shower first, love," suggested Edward as they got their things from the car. "I'll keep Renee company."

Feeling sticky and tight from the salt water, Bella readily agreed. After her shower and much refreshed, she walked out onto the patio where Renee and Edward were chatting.

"Hello darling. Feeling better?" asked Renee as she poured Bella a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade.

"Hmm, much better. The seawater makes your skin feel so tight." She sat down next to Edward. "Your turn. I bet you're dying for a shower as well."

Edward jumped up. "You're not wrong." Giving her a peck on the lips, he went inside for his shower.

Lying back on the chaise, Bella yawned loudly. "Oops, sorry Mom. It must be all this sunshine. I'm not used to it," she joked.

Renee didn't say anything, just looked Bella up and down. At the silence, Bella turned her head and caught Renee looking at her speculatively.

"What, Mom?"

"Bella, how far along are you?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"How many weeks pregnant are you?"

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

**A/N: Ta daaa! Is she or isn't she? That is the question!**

**Let me know what you think.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Wow! Your response the last chapter blew me away! Thanks so much. And the overwhelming consensus was in the 'Yes' answer. Because I left you hanging I wrote this chapter as quickly as I could to you put you all out of your misery. Enjoy.**

**A big thanks to MrsKatyCullen for going over this chapter for me.**

o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 23

"_How many weeks pregnant are you?"_

Bella's mouth dropped open in shock as the words were spoken. "I'm not pregnant, Mom. Where did you get that idea?"

"I've seen the signs."

"Signs? What signs? Believe me, I'm definitely not pregnant," insisted Bella, shaking her head.

"Are you waiting until you're three months along until you announce it? Is that why you haven't said anything? Or don't you know yourself yet?"

Bella stood up abruptly and took a couple of agitated steps. How did Renee come to such an erroneous assumption? Turning to face her, Bella spoke calmly. "Mom, I'm not pregnant. I can't be."

"Why not?" Without waiting for an answer, Renee continued. "Bella, I have a sense about these things, you know. I just seem to 'know' when a woman's pregnant. I call it my 'sixth sense'. And I definitely sense that you are carrying a baby."

For an instant, Bella let herself hope that Renee was right before common sense kicked in. Edward was infertile and it wasn't possible. Sitting back down, Bella looked earnestly at her mother. "Mom, I'm afraid your 'sixth sense' is wrong in this case. There's no way I can be pregnant."

"Why? Because you take birth control? Honey, you should know that there's no contraceptive that's one hundred percent effective all the time."

"Geez Mom, I'm a midwife. I know that. But that's not it. Edward…"

In that moment, Bella heard Edward talking to Phil and realized he was coming back outside. Not wanting to discuss his situation without his permission, she quickly tried to change the subject.

"Mom, please. Can we talk about something else? I'll explain later, after I've talked to Edward. Please?"

Renee smiled wryly and nodded. Bella breathed a sigh of relief then smiled up at Edward as he came outside, his hair still damp. He sat next to her and she breathed in his fresh, clean scent, his skin still warm from his shower.

As the others talked, her mind wandered to Renee's words. As much as she would love to be pregnant with Edward's baby, she knew it wasn't going to happen naturally. It just wasn't. It would have happened long before if it were possible. Heaven knows, they just about made love every day, often more than once.

"You okay?" asked Edward quietly, looking at her with concern. "You're very quiet."

Shoving her thoughts to the back of her mind, Bella shook her head. "I'm fine. Just wool-gathering."

As it was their last night in Jacksonville, Edward was going to take Bella out to dinner. Renee suggested somewhere at the Landing so they could take a look at the Peace Fountain lit up at night.

They walked hand in hand along the River walk, which was busy with fellow tourists and locals alike, trying to decide what they felt like having for dinner. They settled on a Mexican restaurant that had outdoor tables. After giving the waiter their orders, Edward took her hand and lifted it up to his lips.

"I'll be sorry to say goodbye to Renee and Phil. I've really enjoyed their company," he said, holding her hand to his cheek.

"I'm sure they've enjoyed yours too."

"I'm lucky that I won't have a dragon for a mother-in-law." He grinned. "Then again, I won't be able to tell horror mother-in-law jokes. I love mine."

Bella smiled. "Well, you're the bee's knees, as far as Mom is concerned."

Edward chuckled before taking a sip of his beer. "We're both lucky we've got great families," he mused.

Nodding her head, Bella heartily agreed. "Imagine having families that didn't like you, or worse, not having any at all, like Victoria."

Their food arrived at that moment. While they ate, Renee's words came back and Bella wasn't quite sure how to approach the question. Deciding to just ask him, she spoke. "Edward? Can I ask you a question?"

Noting the serious tone in her voice, Edward looked at her quizzically. "Of course. What is it?"

Bella fidgeted with her napkin, wondering why she was nervous. "Renee's been asking questions and giving hints about us having children." She looked up at his face, needing to see if she was upsetting him. His expression was neutral, so she continued. "I wanted to ask if you would allow me to tell her about your infertility. It would stop thoughtless questions and she won't tell anyone if we ask her not to, I know she won't. It would make our lives easier not to have to deal with pressure after we get married…" Bella could hear herself start to ramble.

Grabbing her hand, Edward squeezed it tightly and smiled gently at her. "Bella! It's okay. I don't mind if you tell Renee. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Of course it isn't. I just didn't want to discuss something so personal without you knowing about it. I would have felt like I was breaking a confidence."

"No, you wouldn't, I promise. Tell Renee everything. It'll be good for you to know that she knows." He stroked her hand, reassuringly.

"Okay. I'll talk to her tonight."

After dinner, they strolled for a while, stopping to admire the colourful lights that lit up the fountain. Taking her in his arms, they kissed tenderly, not noticing the amused looks of passers-by who watched the two lovers.

When they got back, Phil was watching a baseball game. Knowing Bella wanted to talk to her mother privately, Edward asked Phil if he wanted any company. Glad to have someone to discuss the finer points of the game with, Phil grabbed a couple of beers.

Leaving them to it, Bella went in search of her mother. Renee was in the den, going through her emails.

"Hey Mom," she called out softly, not wanting to startle her.

"Oh hey, baby. How was dinner? Where'd you go?"

Bella told her about their night before suggesting they head out to the patio. "I need to talk to you."

Getting them both a drink, they settled down outside in the balmy evening. "Is this about the discussion we were having earlier?" asked Renee astutely.

Bella nodded. "Sort of. I need to tell you why I can't be pregnant." At Renee's nod of encouragement, she continued. "I wanted to make sure it was okay with Edward before I said anything. He wanted me to tell you."

Bella related to Renee about Edward's battle with cancer and its resulting infertility.

"That's why I know your 'sixth sense' is wrong. When we decide to have children, we'll have to go through IVF."

Renee had listened without saying a word. "Honey, I'm so sorry for what Edward had to go through at such a young age." She took hold of Bella's hand. "But, despite all that, I still believe you may be pregnant. It's possible," she insisted as Bella shook her head.

"Mom, he's been infertile for eleven years. Do you really think it would just magically change after all this time?"

"When was the last time he was tested?"

"About four years ago, and there was nothing then."

"Four years? That's a long time, honey. Things can change in four years. Bella, you work in medicine. I'm sure you see miracles all the time. Why can't you have a miracle of your own?"

"Because it's totally improbable, Mom."

"But not impossible. Even the doctors told him that. Think about it Bella. I've noticed that you fall asleep at the drop of a hat and you felt dizzy yesterday. And I don't know, there's just something about you…"

"Mom, it's been a rough couple of months, that's why I've been tired. And it was the heat yesterday. I've been fine today. As a midwife, I think I would suspect if I was pregnant."

"Maybe not. It's easy to ignore things when you truly believe they're not possible."

"Mom, I work around pregnant women every day. Like I would miss the signs," she insisted.

"Okay, then. When did you have your last period?"

Bella opened her mouth to give her an answer when she stopped. When _was_ the last time she'd had a period? She realised that she'd have to think about it because she really couldn't remember. In the wake of Billy's death, the drama with Victoria and the general hectic pace of work, she had totally forgotten to take notice of her body.

"I…I can't really remember," she said weakly.

Renee didn't say anything, just gave her a knowing look.

Bella's mind was whirling with a million thoughts. The mere thought that she _could_ possibly be pregnant was seriously messing with her head. She needed to get her thoughts into some rational order before she even mentioned the possibility to anyone, even Edward.

"Think about it. Take a test anyway, just for curiosity's sake," urged Renee.

Bella just gave a small nod. "Maybe when we get back."

As if by mutual agreement, they changed the subject. Renee was astute enough, despite her apparent flightiness, to see that Bella was really rattled by the possibility of being pregnant and decided not to push. Either way, the truth would become apparent with time.

About an hour later, Bella gave a wide yawn and announced she'd be heading to bed. They were catching a morning flight back to Seattle. At Renee's knowing look, she just shook her head.

"I'm just tired, Mom. It's been a busy few days."

"If you say so." Okay, so she couldn't help pushing just a little bit.

Phil and Edward were calling out to the television, shouting encouragement to whoever was batting. Bella sat down on the arm of his chair and leaned her head against his. He turned and gave her a peck on the cheek, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"I'm going to bed, okay? You stay and finish the game," she murmured into his ear.

"No, I'll go with you."

"Stay. How many innings to go?"

"Only a couple more."

"Well, stay and watch them. You don't want to stop now, do you?"

"It is a close game. If you're sure?"

"Of course. See you in bed." Kissing him softly, she bade Renee and Phil goodnight and went to their bedroom

Glad to be on her own for a while, Bella allowed the maelstrom of thoughts she'd been trying to suppress, loose. She kept hearing her mother's words repeatedly. As she got into bed, she thought back to when she had her last period. Trying to work back week by week, she realised it had been at least over a month. Her brow furrowed in concentration, she vaguely remembered one before Billy's death, but couldn't remember one after, no matter how hard she tried. At least six weeks, if not more.

Unbidden, a tiny flare of hope lit inside her before she quashed it. She had on occasion skipped or had a delayed period. Admittedly, she could count the times on one hand, but it _had_ happened. This could very well be one of those times.

And yes, she did seem to feel extra tired lately but that could easily be attributed to other factors. And other than the dizziness yesterday, she hadn't felt the slightest bit nauseous. As a midwife, Bella knew that not all women experienced morning sickness. The 'signs' were all a bit vague to give much credence to the idea.

Still, that tiny flame was fighting with all its might to take hold. It wouldn't let go, now that Bella was conscious of the possibility, however minute she believed it to be.

Lying on her side, she breathed in Edward's scent from the pillow beside her. Knowing that she needed to find out the answer, she decided to take a pregnancy test when they got home. She also knew that she couldn't say anything to Edward. She couldn't bear to see the disappointment on his face if it came to nothing, as she still suspected. No, if it was negative, she'd never mention it.

As she drifted off to sleep, her hand unconsciously moved to her stomach in an age-old maternal gesture.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Their flight was called, and the usual flurry of goodbyes were given. Renee and Bella held each other tightly, both knowing they shared a tremendous secret that could change their lives.

"Call me," said Renee, looking meaningfully at Bella. Bella smiled and nodded. "Of course, Mom. I love you."

"I love you too, baby girl."

Taking hold of Edward, Renee hugged him hard. "Take care of my little girl."

"Of course Renee. I'd protect her with my life," he reassured her. Renee beamed at him.

With final waves goodbye, they boarded the plane and found their seats. Taking her hand, Edward looked at her.

"I'm going to miss Renee, and Phil," he stated.

"Yeah, me too. I sometimes wished she lived a bit closer."

"You okay? You've been a bit quiet this morning. I'm sorry that you don't get to see your mom every day."

"I'm fine. I'm used to it, but it's still hard to say goodbye."

"I know. Still, we have a wedding to organise and you'll see her then. She may even be able to stay for a bit before the wedding."

Bella nodded in agreement. "That would be nice. And yes, we've got to break the news to Alice. Hope it won't be too much for her, though. She's due in July."

Edward chuckled. "You don't know Alice very well if you think a little thing like pregnancy will stop her."

"Suppose not. I'll have to insist she doesn't overdo it, though," insisted Bella.

"Good luck with that."

Bella dozed on and off during the flight home and with the time difference, it was still mid morning when they arrived in Seattle. The difference in temperature was instantly noticeable.

They stopped for lunch on the way home and arrived in the early afternoon. The afternoon was spent doing loads of washing and airing the apartment out. Bella rang Jake to see how he was, pleased he was nearly back to his old self. Next was Charlie.

"How are Renee and Phil?"

Bella related their trip, including Renee's inebriation. Charlie burst out laughing. "Always was fun to be with."

Risking the wrath of her father, Bella asked how Kara was. To her surprise, Charlie was actually forthcoming with information. He told her how they chatted on the phone most nights and that he was planning a trip to see her in Canada.

"That's great to hear Dad. I'm really pleased for you. I hope everything works out for both of you."

"You don't feel, I don't know, weird, about this?" asked Charlie.

"No, why would I? I'm a big girl now. I can handle seeing my Dad with a girlfriend," she teased.

Charlie just cleared his throat at the word 'girlfriend'. "Well, then, that's g…good."

Throughout the mundane chores they had to do, Bella's mind kept turning back to her discussion with her mother. Outwardly, she acted as if nothing was weighing on her mind but she knew she needed to get some answers before it drove her crazy. Her mind kept swinging from denial to hope and back to denial, seemingly at lightning speed. She was determined to get a test kit from the hospital tomorrow.

"Is something wrong, love?" asked Edward as they sat having dinner. He had the feeling that something was off with Bella. He couldn't put his finger on it, but she had been acting differently since last night even though she was trying to act normally. She seemed worried about something. "If something's worrying you, you can tell me."

Bella looked at him in surprise. Damn, she'd been trying her hardest to act normal but it seemed he'd still picked up on some of her tension. "No, why would there be something wrong?" she hedged.

"I don't know. You just seem...distracted...somehow. What's bugging you?"

"Nothing. There's nothing wrong."

"Is it the prospect of our wedding? Do you want to wait to get married?" he asked, a hint of hurt showing in his eyes.

Shocked that he could think such a thing, Bella came around the table and took hold of his head in her hands, tilting it up to hers. "Edward, darling. Of course I want to marry you. You know that. How could you think otherwise?"

"I don't really but it's the only thing I can come up with that's bothering you," he answered.

Bella lowered her head and rested her forehead on his. "Nothing's bothering me. Maybe I've got a touch of the post-break blues," she smiled wryly. "I've enjoyed our time away together very much and now it's back to the everyday."

Edward looked deeply into her eyes, trying to ascertain the truth of her words. He wanted to believe her. "You know you can tell me anything, don't you?"

"Yes, I know. Honestly Edward, it's nothing."

Deciding to take her at her word, he pulled her down onto his lap as his hands slipped under her shirt. "Love me?" he murmured against the skin of her throat, breathing deeply of the scent that was his Bella.

"You know I do," she replied, closing her eyes in pleasure as his hands wandered over the skin of her back before moving to draw circles on her torso.

"Show me," he demanded as he took her earlobe between his lips, tugging gently.

The feel of his hands, his lips, his body were all the incentive Bella needed. Threading her hands through his hair, she pulled his lips to hers, running her tongue over his slowly before seeking entry to his mouth. Lightly massaging his scalp, she kissed him deeply, needing to convey the depth of feelings she felt for him. He was the whole world to her, her everything.

Edward let Bella take control, followed where she led. When she began peppering his face and neck with kisses, he let her do as she wanted. He couldn't help the soft gasp when she flattened her breasts against him as she wriggled on his lap, his reaction to her nearness more than obvious. As she continued kissing him, she ran her hands up his torso, over his hard chest and began pulling at the buttons on his shirt. Impatiently, she pulled the shirt open, popping a couple of buttons off in her haste.

Ravenous for him now, she slipped off his lap onto her knees between his legs and began kissing his chest, sucking his nipples into her mouth. She lightly ran her fingernails over his chest. She could hear his thudding heart, feel his uneven breathing as her hands moved lower, over his hard abs and further down. Fumbling with the button of his jeans, her mouth moved lower, swirling her tongue into his belly button.

When Bella pulled down his zipper, he lifted his hips to help her pull his jeans down. He looked down and felt a bolt of pure desire flow through him. She looked like a pure seductress, eyeing his tented underwear with hunger. When she reached up and took hold of his erection through the fabric, he threw his head back as he gripped the sides of the chair.

She began stroking him slowly as she continued kissing his torso.

"God, baby. Touch me," he begged hoarsely. Reaching up, she kissed him deeply, her tongue swirling with his. He groaned loudly when she pulled down his underwear, freeing his erection. She took hold of him with both hands, one hand cupping the head while the other moved up and down, driving him wild. While stroking him, she kissed her way back down his torso and paused, her eyes teasing. "Yes. Oh god, yes!" he hissed at the question in her eyes.

Her tongue ran along the underside of his penis in a slow, measured stroke. Over and over, she licked him but wouldn't take him in her mouth. Edward looked at her red lips, desperate to have them wrapped intimately around him. "Please, baby."

"Do you love me?" she asked hoarsely, the lust in her voice evident.

"More than anything. More than my life." He cried out in pure bliss as she finally took him in her mouth, sucking on the tip as her tongue flicked over it. He couldn't help his hands raking through her hair, holding her to him. "Oh god!" He bucked gently into her mouth, his breath coming in rough gasps.

His ragged moans were driving Bella wild and she could feel how wet she was. Her sex was throbbing, desperate for him to give her relief. Releasing him with a soft 'pop' she stood up, ignoring his groan of disappointment.

Like a woman possessed, she ripped of her shirt and fumbled with her bra, Edward's hands undoing her jeans, pulling them down along with her underwear. As soon as she had kicked them away, Edward pulled her down onto his lap, his mouth zeroing in on her breasts.

Bella was panting as he suckled on her sensitive breasts, darts of pleasure shooting straight to her core. With her legs on either side of his, she could feel his erection throbbing against her. It would only take a small movement and he would be inside her.

Edward was so turned on; he was struggling to control himself. His hands were squeezing her breasts roughly as he sucked her turgid nipples, listening to her cries.

Bella could feel how close she was to coming so she lifted herself up slightly before impaling herself on him, both of them crying out at the sensation of him filling her so deeply. Bella rocked back and forth a couple of times and felt the ripples of an orgasm race through her, her head thrown back, her back arched.

"Yes, baby. That's it. I love to watch you come," he muttered, trying to stop himself from coming even though her inner walls were massaging him, the sensation heavenly.

As Bella recovered, she kissed him deeply, rocking back and forth. "I love you so much."

"I know."

His hands on her hips were guiding her back and forth, as he gritted his teeth. He wanted to prolong this as much as possible, make her come once again. He could feel her dripping onto him, making the task even more difficult.

"Baby, I'm going to turn you around, okay?" he gasped into her throat. At her nod, he lifted her off him, both of them looking down at his rigid penis, throbbing and wet from her body. Turning her around, he pulled her back down, facing away from him. Bella reached down and grabbed his penis, guiding it back into her.

"Oh god, that feels so good!" she cried as the change in the angle of penetration stimulated different parts of her. Leaning back into him, she turned her head as his mouth searched for hers, her arm reaching up to cup his head.

Edward knew he wouldn't last long. She was too damn sexy. He was so hard he hurt and was buried so deeply inside her; he had trouble remembering where he ended and she started. His hands reached around and cupped her breasts, pinching and rolling her nipples as she began rocking faster and faster.

"Oh baby!" he gasped

"Yes…yes…yes!" she breathed, her hand digging into his hip. He was too far gone to even notice. One hand moved down and began rubbing her soft folds feeling where he was moving in and out of her.

"Baby, I'm gonna come. I can't hold out much longer," he warned hoarsely, as his finger rolled her nub around and around.

The sensation of his fingers on her breast and clit, moving in tandem, as well as the delicious stretching of his penis inside her was the last straw. "Yes….yes….yes…._yesssss_!" she hissed loudly as she bucked wildly on him, her body throbbing with each wave of pleasure that surged through her, her head thrown back onto his shoulder.

So lost in her pleasure, she didn't notice when Edward cried out and pressed his face into her throat as he released himself into her, squeezing her breast almost painfully.

For several long moments, they sat there limply, gasping harshly as they struggled to come back down to earth. Unconsciously, Edward caressed her stomach in a soothing gesture as he slumped back into the chair, her body following.

"Wow," was all he could manage as his voice returned.

"Yeah."

Slowly shifting around, still joined, Bella wrapped her arms around his neck and they kissed languidly for several moments, both of them completely satiated. Bella rested her face against his throat, her mind completely devoid of any thought.

"Come on love. Let's go to bed," he said as he felt her shiver. Lifting her off him, he stood up and picked her up, carrying her to the bedroom, Bella flicking off the lights as they went.

o-o-o-o-o-o

It didn't take long for them to get back into the swing of things once back in the hospital. Bella was happy to be back although in the back of her mind she was constantly aware that she needed to obtain a pregnancy test kit without Edward knowing.

Today was a clinic day but Bella wasn't rostered to assist so she was doing rounds, meeting any new mothers that had been admitted while she was away, when she got called to the Emergency Department.

Rushing down she burst through the doors and was confronted by a woman in labour being pushed in a wheelchair. She had a hospital blanket over her legs.

"What's happening?" she asked the doctor on duty.

"Take a look," she said, with a wry smile as she lifted up the blanket.

Bella bent down and gasped. "Oh dear." Protruding from the woman were two tiny feet. Looking at the patient folder, she addressed the poor woman. "Hello Mrs Vega. I see junior is in a hurry."

Mrs Vega nodded. "I felt the first contraction an hour ago."

"Ok. Let's get to the delivery room. Quickly." They all rushed up to Maternity and into a delivery suite as fast as possible. This baby was in an almighty rush and was coming out breech. "Call one of the doctors. Just in case," she asked another nurse as they helped Mrs Vega onto the bed.

Mrs Vega cried out in pain as a strong contraction hit. "Oh god, I need to push!" she groaned.

"Try not to, please," urged Bella. "We need to be careful as it's breech." The feet had already come out but there was always the possibility that the head could get stuck so Bella wanted to be cautious.

"I have to!" cried the labouring mother, red and sweaty.

Bella knew she wasn't going to be able to slow the birth down. She felt a touch on her back and looked up to see Edward smiling down at her.

"In a rush, I see," he said, assessing the situation.

"Very," she replied, absurdly pleased to see him. His presence just seemed to have a calming effect on everyone.

Taking hold of the baby's feet, she gently pulled as Mrs. Vega pushed through a strong contraction. The legs and bottom slid out easily allowing them to note that it was a girl.

"Okay, Mrs Vega. I'm going to have to try and guide the arms and head out. This will probably hurt but we run the risk of dislocating a shoulder if we're not careful," warned Bella.

With her smaller hands, Bella was able to manoeuvre the baby's arms out safely and check for the cord, which fortunately wasn't wrapped around her neck. At the next contraction, Bella helped the head emerge. The baby gave a loud cry of protest, much to the relief of everyone in the room.

"Congratulations Mrs Vega. You have a little girl," said Bella, placing the baby on her mother's chest.

"Well done, Bella," praised Edward softly, his hand on the small of her back. Bella grinned up at him and prepared to deliver the placenta. He gave the baby a quick check to see that all was well. "I'll get back to the clinic now, seeing as you've got everything under control here." With a goodbye to everyone, he left the room.

After a few minutes, Bella took the baby and did the usual weighing and measurements. "You need to slow down in future, little one," she crooned to the infant as she carried her back to her mother. "You may have your hands full with this one," she smiled.

Mrs Vega shook her head in bewilderment. "I think you may be right. One moment I'm at sitting at home, the next I'm here with my baby." As she spoke, Bella noticed Mrs Vega's hands begin to shake, then saw the tremors that shook her body. "Why can't I stop shaking?" she asked, a worried look on her face.

"It's because your labour was so quick, your body is having a sort of delayed reaction. It's in shock in a way. It's quite common in extremely fast labours like yours. It will pass soon. We can give you a light sedative if you become too uncomfortable."

"No, I'll be fine." Bella and another nurse cleaned Mrs Vega up before having her transferred to the ward. Just before she was moved, a harried man came rushing into the room.

"You alright, Rosie?" he asked anxiously as he looked at his wife. He then noticed the bundle in her arms. "Is that…?"

"Hi honey. Meet your daughter," she smiled, holding out her baby.

Bella watched as he took hold of his daughter, a look of awe in his face. "I tried to get here as fast as I could…"

Mrs Vega shook her head. "It's okay. Bubs was just a bit too impatient for all of us, wasn't she nurse?"

Bella agreed heartily before ushering them to the ward where she left the happy family to get acquainted.

It was nearing the end of her shift so she went into the storeroom and grabbed three testing kits. She was going to wait until she was alone at home before she tested herself. Part of her wanted to tell Edward of her faint suspicions, have him wait for the results with her but a larger part didn't want to raise his hopes only to have them dashed.

She was just about to look for Edward to let him know she was leaving when he came into the staff room.

"Baby, I'm going to be a couple more hours yet," he informed her. "Because of the breech birth we're running behind and we still have a number of appointments to get through."

"Okay. Give me a call when you're leaving so I can have dinner ready when you get home." Bella was relieved to have this time alone. It meant being able to find out sooner rather than waiting. Giving him a quick kiss, she left the hospital.

When she got home, she pulled out the kits and sat staring at them. She had to admit she was scared. Scared of having that tiny spark of hope extinguished. Scared of having to hide from Edward the fact that she'd even suspected she might be pregnant. Scared of disappointment. She hadn't expected to ever even think she might have fallen pregnant naturally but she was scared of how badly she wanted it to be true.

Taking a deep breath, she decided get on with it. Carrying the kits into the bathroom, she followed the procedures and went back out to the lounge room to wait. After a couple of seconds, she stood up and paced around the room, stealing glances towards the bathroom every few seconds.

When the required time had elapsed, she walked to the bathroom and stood at the door, terrified of taking those few steps and finding out the truth. The three sticks on the bathroom counter seemed to taunt her, daring her to pick them up.

Pulling herself together, she stepped forward and picked up the sticks with shaking hands, not daring to look until she went back to the lounge. Finally, she forced herself to look at the small windows.

All three showed a clear blue line through the middle.

Tears sprang to Bella's eyes as she stared at the blue lines.

Each stick confirmed that she was indeed pregnant. She was carrying Edward's baby. Against all hope, all expectation, they had created a tiny new life.

As the tears of joy coursed down her face, Bella's hands moved to cradle her still flat stomach.

"Hi baby," she whispered.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: Happy now? Next up - Edward's reaction.**

**Give me your thoughts - I love reading every single one of them.**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Oh my goodness! I was literally astounded at the number of reviews I got from the last chapter! I'm still picking my jaw up from the floor! And you've taken me over the 1000 review mark which is simply astonishing. Thank you, thank you, thank you to each and every one of you.**

**I've rushed this chapter out to you for a couple of reasons. One, because you deserve it and the other I will talk about at the end of the chapter. Please make sure you read the AN at the end as it could affect all of us.**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 24

Bella lost track of the amount of time that passed as she sat there crying and smiling at the same time. She couldn't stop running her hands over her stomach, still unable to really believe that deep within her womb lay a tiny human being. The proof of Edward's and her love for each other.

Over and over, she would pick up the test sticks and stare at the blue line as if checking to see that it was still there. A part of her was terrified that she was imagining everything, that she would look down and the window would be clear. At least an hour had passed and the line was still there.

How was she going to tell Edward? Did she blurt it out as soon as he got home or did she ease him into it? Before, during or after dinner? How would he react? If she had trouble believing it, how would he feel?

An image of a tiny baby with his eyes and hair appeared in her mind and she couldn't suppress the squeal of glee that burst from her mouth. Unable to contain it, she stood up and bounced around the room.

A baby! They were going to have a baby!

"Oh my god! I'm going to be a mom! Did you hear that baby? I'm going to be your Mommy. And Daddy is going to be so happy. We're going to love you so much, baby. All of us, your grandmas and grandpas, your auntie and uncle. You'll even have a little cousin to play with. Oh baby, I so happy right now, I could fly!"

A short time later her phone announced she had a new message. Picking it up, she saw it was a message from Edward letting her know he was on his way home.

In all the excitement, she had totally forgotten to get anything for dinner so it looked like they would have to eat out. Bella felt too excited to eat but her baby needed nourishment so she would eat as well as she could.

As she waited for Edward's arrival she decided that she would ease him into it. She remembered her reaction to Renee's suggestion that she was pregnant and her immediate disbelief that it was possible so she didn't think Edward's reaction would be any less shocked. He truly believed he was incapable of fathering a child naturally. Bella decided that she would sit him down and tell him her news. She wondered whether there were any smelling salts in the apartment, she thought with a grin.

When she heard the key enter the lock, Bella stood up and went to greet him. "Okay baby. Let's do this."

Edward came in and went straight to the bedroom to take off his coat and shoes before looking for Bella. She followed him in and took him by surprise when she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a deep, passionate kiss. Responding immediately, his arms pulled her close as he returned her kiss for several minutes.

Finally lifting his head, he looked at her with a quizzical smile on his face. "Wow! That was some hello," he grinned.

"I know. I love you so much I just had to kiss you," she smiled back.

"That's nice. I love you too. What's going on?" he asked.

"I have some very important news. Get changed and come outside."

"Why? What is it?"

"Just get changed," she insisted as she left the room, Edward staring after her.

A few minutes later, Edward came into the lounge and sat down next to her, taking her hand. "Okay. What's the news?"

Turning to face him, she took both his hands in hers. "You know how I've been really tired lately?" He nodded. "Well, I thought it was because of the events of the last couple of months until Mom gave me another possible explanation. She pointed out some things that I'd been ignoring."

"Bella, are you ill?" he asked worriedly, his heart thumping in fear.

She shook her head with a smile. "No, it's nothing like that. When you said that I was acting strange for the last couple of nights it was because I kept thinking about what she had said to me."

"Bella, for god's sake, what is it?" he demanded, all sorts of awful scenarios playing out in his head.

Bella reached behind her and grabbed something from the side table and held them out to him. He looked down and instantly recognised the pregnancy testers in her hand. Each one was showing a positive result.

"Who's are these?"

"Mine. Edward, despite everything we believed, we're going to have a baby."

"_We're going to have a baby." _At her words, a roaring sound seemed to fill his ears, blocking out anything else Bella was saying. His brain seemed to shut down and he just sat there mutely for ages. A baby? _A baby?_ How could that be? He couldn't get Bella pregnant. It wasn't possible.

His mind was whirling now. How? What? Where? Images assaulted his mind. The doctors telling him the treatment had rendered him infertile. Carlisle assuring him he could still father children. Watching fathers with mild envy as they met their child for the first time. Bella's acceptance that he couldn't give her a child as nature intended. Bella telling him she loved him more than anything in the world.

The thought that the baby wasn't his flashed through his mind before he instantly dismissed it. He knew Bella. Knew how honest and loyal she was. He knew that she would never hurt him like that. Which simply left two options: that the baby was his or that the test kits were wrong and there was no baby.

And he desperately wanted there to be a baby.

"_We're going to have a baby."_ He looked at Bella's face, realising how much time had elapsed since she had spoken those words. She was biting her lip, a worried look on her face as she still held the pregnancy testers.

"A baby?" he choked out the words. "That's not possible."

"We thought it wasn't Edward, but we've been proven wrong. I did three tests Edward and they all say the same thing," she told him gently, holding out them out for him to take.

With shaking hands, he took hold of them and looked at them closely. Sure enough, each had a blue line in the window, indicating a positive result. They had to be wrong. _All three?_ These testers were known for their accuracy which was why the hospital used them.

"But...how?" he asked dazedly.

Bella smiled and reached out to touch his cheek. "I think you know how," she teased him gently.

"When was your last period?"

"I'm not sure but I think at least six or seven weeks ago."

Edward nodded slowly. He knew he was in a mild state of shock. Forget mild. He was in a total state of shock. Of all the things she could have told him, this was the last thing he expected.

"Edward? Are you okay? I know we never expected this, but..."

"I don't know, Bella. I'm struggling to accept this is real. My thoughts are all over the place." He reached out and took her hand, using it as a lifeline.

"It's real Edward. Three tests can't be wrong."

His mind clearing, he stood up, pulling Bella with him. Grabbing his keys and wallet, he led them to the door.

"Edward? Where are we going?" she asked, baffled.

"To the hospital."

"Why?"

"You're going to get a blood test done. Pathology's staffed until late so we can get the results straight away."

"Don't you believe me?" she asked, her voice hurt.

Turning to her, he took her face in his hands and gave her a gentle kiss. "It's not you I don't believe. It's the testers. What if they're wrong? A blood test will be definitive."

"How can all three be wrong, Edward?"

Looking into her eyes, he silently begged her to understand. "Baby, please understand. I...I can't let myself believe it's true until it's proven beyond doubt. I...I can't. It would hurt too much if it wasn't true. I've never let myself even hope something like this was possible. It's like being told everything I ever believed in was wrong." Taking a deep breath he told her what was deep in his heart. "And I so badly want this to be true."

Her eyes filling with tears of understanding, she nodded. "Let's go."

He drove silently to the hospital, holding her hand tightly. Once there he led them to Pathology and greeted the technician on duty.

"Hi Ray. I need a really big favour from you," he said.

"Sure. What do you need?"

"We need you to do a blood test on Bella. To confirm a pregnancy."

The silence was deafening for a few moments as they looked at each other. Ray suddenly broke into a grin. "Hey, no problem. It should only take a few minutes to get the result. Come sit here Bella and I'll draw some blood."

Bella sat down and held out her arm to allow blood to be taken. Edward stood next to her, holding her hand, his thumbing stroking her knuckles.

"Okay. This will take a few moments. Do you guys want to go and get a coffee or something while you wait?"

Edward looked questioningly at Bella, who nodded. They went down to the cafeteria where Bella got herself a tea instead coffee. "It's better for the baby," she informed him.

He kept hold of her hand, needing the touch of her skin to convince him this wasn't just a particularly vivid dream. If it wasn't real, he didn't know how he would cope. He wanted it to be real so much it hurt.

Neither of them really wanted their drinks so they tossed them in the bin and went back to Pathology. Ray waved them over as he took a print out from the machine. Scanning the results quickly, he handed it to Bella, a wide grin on his face.

"Congratulations Mom and Dad," he said with a flourish.

Edward looked down at the results, reading the words as he felt his chest tighten. There on the page was irrefutable proof that Bella was pregnant with his baby. He saw a drop of moisture drop on the page and realised that it had come from him. He shakily reached up and felt the trail of wetness on his cheek. Looking at Bella he saw her cheeks stained with tears as well.

"Thanks a lot, Ray. I owe you one," said Edward huskily as he pulled Bella out of the room.

"Hey, no problem. I'm happy for you guys. And don't worry, I won't tell a soul. Patient confidentiality and all that, you know," he grinned at them.

Once in the car, Edward felt like his chest was so tight he had trouble breathing. He drove a little way and knew he couldn't go any further. Pulling into a small park, he stopped the car and turned off the engine.

Unbuckling his seat belt, he got out of the car and came around to her side and helped her out. He could see confusion in her face before he took hold of her in a bone crushing hug. It was the trigger for all the emotion he'd been holding inside to be set free. Lowering his head onto her shoulder he gave a shuddering sob as the tears began to flow freely. He cried with the pure joy of knowing he and Bella had created a miracle. He cried for all the years he believed this would never happen. He cried for the sadness he'd hidden when he believed he wouldn't ever be able to give his beloved Bella this gift.

Throughout the storm of emotion he'd unleashed, Bella held on to him for dear life, her hands and lips letting him know she would always hold him when he needed her. He felt her tears fall on him too and he knew they needed this.

As the storm gradually subsided, he pulled back and they looked at each other, both with gentle smiles, their eyes wet from their tears. He gave her a soft, tender kiss of thanks before kneeling down before her. He pulled up her shirt to expose the soft skin of her belly. Her hand held her shirt out of the way, allowing him to take hold of her hips.

Slowly, reverently, his leaned forward and kissed her stomach over where his child nestled within her. Bella's hand reached down and gently caressed his hair.

"Hello baby. I'm your Daddy. I didn't believe I would ever get to do this but your Mom and I somehow created a miracle. I can't wait to meet you. I love you both so much," he whispered against her skin, kissing it again before resting his cheek on her stomach.

They stayed like that for several moments, both of them cherishing the tender moment. The quiet was only broken when Bella's stomach growled in protest at the lack of nourishment it had received tonight.

The sound seemed so incongruous at this special moment that Edward couldn't stop the chuckle that left his lips. Bella burst out laughing as well and in the next moment they were laughing joyously in each other's arms. Lifting her into his arms, Edward spun them around, pure joy radiating from his eyes.

"We're having a baby! We're really having a baby!" Unable to control himself, he cried out to the heavens. "WE'RE HAVING A BABY!"

They stopped on the way home and picked up some Chinese for dinner. As they ate, Edward couldn't stop touching her. He would touch her cheek, her hair, her arm, her hand. His eyes were so full of tenderness that Bella felt like crying again. Every opportunity he got, he would kiss her, either on the mouth, cheek or hand.

They were now sitting on the lounge, Bella on Edward's lap, arms wrapped around her as his hands rested on her stomach, her hands lying atop his.

"Happy?" she asked.

Kissing her jaw, he nodded. "I can't remember feeling this happy. Maybe when you said you'd marry me. I'm still struggling to believe it though, even with the evidence."

"I know. Every time I think about it, I almost need to pinch myself to prove it's real."

"A baby," he said with awe. "How did my body heal itself enough to create a baby with you?"

"You said yourself that the doctors had said there was a slim chance this could happen. And it's been four years since you were last tested. You eat well, don't drink much. You're fit and healthy. Obviously that was enough to start producing sperm again."

"You know doctors say stuff like that so that you don't lose hope," he scoffed. "They don't really believe it themselves."

"Edward, how many times have you seen something at work that you know logically shouldn't be possible? A baby that survives being born way too early. Someone pulling through a surgery that by rights they shouldn't have. We see minor miracles every day. This is one of those times."

They kissed languidly for a few moments, his hand tracing gentle circles on her stomach.

"Maybe you should get yourself tested again," she suggested. "Find out just how fertile you've become."

"Yeah, I should. I'll give my specialist a call and see if he can suggest someone in Seattle for me to see."

"Now, we have a really important task we need to do," she told him in a serious voice.

Alarmed, he stared at her. "What?"

"We need to break the news to Alice," she replied, breaking into giggles at his horrified look.

"Oh god! I'm going to need ear plugs. You too, baby," he called out to her stomach. "I thought it was going to be bad enough when we told her we wanted her to organise our wedding. When she hears about our baby..." he gave a mock shudder.

"I just want to tell our families at the moment," declared Bella. "I don't want to make it generally known until I'm at least three months."

Edward nodded. "Yes, I agree. It will be a bit difficult though." At her questioning look he continued. "You'll need to see Bernard for your initial check up. Unless you want to go to a private OB?"

"No, I'd like to have Bernard look after me. I'm sure we can work something out with him where he can do my check up while letting as few people know as possible."

"I'll have a discreet word to him. Do you have any idea how far along you are?"

"I'm not certain. I really did forget to pay attention to myself the last few weeks. Before Billy's funeral at least."

"So maybe six or seven weeks?"

"I think so. An ultrasound will tell us though."

"A baby!" he said in wonder. "Can you believe it? I wonder if it will be a boy or girl?"

"I don't care either way."

"Me neither. I can't wait to see you growing big with my baby. To feel it kicking. You'll be so beautiful, my love," he said tenderly.

"So you'll still love me when I'm big and fat?" she teased.

"You'll be like a goddess. A beautiful, sexy, sensual goddess and I'll want you like crazy."

Their lips and tongues met, caressing each other tenderly before the passion rose and their breathing and pulses began racing. Edward's hand reached up and cupped her breast, understanding now why they were so sensitive to his touch.

Bella turned to face him fully and pressed herself against him, feeling his arousal underneath her. A few more minutes of kissing and Edward stood up with her in his arms. He walked to the bedroom and laid her down gently, as if she were made of porcelain.

He made love to her slowly and tenderly, driving her crazy with desire. When she was naked, he kissed his way down her body, kissing her stomach softly, murmuring words of love against her skin.

He was so gentle that Bella was forced to plead with him. "Edward, I won't break. Please love me. I need you."

Not able to deny her anything, he did as she wished and they were soon lost in the delirious pleasure of each other.

Later, Edward lay with his head on her stomach while her fingers ran soothingly through his hair. They were relaxed and satiated from their lovemaking.

"Do you think we should get married earlier than September?" he asked.

Her fingers stilled in his hair as she considered his question. "I think we should. I mean, by my rough calculations, I'll be around seven months along by then. I would be a lot more comfortable, physically I mean, if we got married earlier."

"You mean you don't want to waddle up the aisle," he teased, earning himself a gentle yank on his hair.

"Meanie!"

Edward moved up and pulled her into his arms, kissing her gently. "Am I forgiven?"

"I suppose so," she grinned. "And I'm not going to waddle."

"Okay then. So, when do you think we should have the wedding?"

"June I think. I'll be in the second trimester and will be feeling energetic and frisky," she laughed, remembering Alice's comments a couple of months before.

"Frisky, heh? I like the sound of that," he grinned, an amorous glint in his eye. "Feeling frisky again now, by any chance?"

"You are insatiable, you know that?" she scolded.

"And you love it, don't you?" he murmured into her throat before proceeding to show her just how insatiable she made him.

o-o-o-o-o-o

The next morning they went to see Bernard in his office. They explained the situation and how they wanted him to give Bella her first check up, preferably with as few people knowing as possible. Once it became common knowledge, Bella would just schedule her appointments during her working hours at the clinic.

"Congratulations to both of you!" beamed Bernard. "This is fantastic news. Fantastic news." Taking Bella's hand in his, he beamed at her. "And I would be most honoured to look after you during your pregnancy."

"Thank you Bernard," she replied with a wide smile. "Edward and I are over moon." She looked at Edward who was struggling to contain his happiness this morning.

"So, do you think you can do the initial check up discreetly?" asked Edward.

Bernard considered their options for a moment. "I think the best thing to do would be to do it during lunch just before the clinic starts next week. If you can find out which clinic you're rostered on for Bella, it'll be easier to disguise as you'll be in there anyway. I will need a hand though, so is there someone you trust enough to tell?"

"I can ask Sue. I know she can keep a secret and I trust her," she replied, remembering how Edward had enlisted her help for his proposal.

"Okay then. Let me know which clinic you're rostered on for and we'll do it then."

Promising to let him know as soon as she found out, they left his office. Edward pulled her into his office and shut the door before taking her in his arms and holding her close. Their kiss was slow, loving and tender. "I love you so much," he whispered against her lips. "I'm so happy I want to burst but I've got to act as if nothing's happened and it's going to kill me."

Bella smiled at him. "I know. If I could I'd run up and down the main street shouting out the news."

"Best not to do that, my love," he teased. "We could lose some patients that way."

Bella giggled and kissed him again. "How about we release some pressure by telling our families?"

"Good idea. I'll call them and organise a get together."

"Let me know what's happening. I'd better get to work."

"Okay. See you later. Love you."

"Love you too," she replied, giving him a quick final kiss before leaving the office. She schooled her face into a normal expression as went to greet the other staff on duty.

She managed to pull Sue aside during the afternoon and led them into one of the empty delivery suites.

"What's going on Bella?" asked Sue curiously.

"I need to tell you something in confidence and this seemed the best place where we won't be overheard." Checking the door was shut, Bella continued. "Sue, I'm pregnant."

Sue gave a startled gasp, her hand covering her mouth. When she recovered enough she asked the first thing she thought of. "Are you happy about it?"

Bella luminous smile was all the answer Sue needed. "Ecstatic. We didn't think we could have children so this is like all our Christmases and birthdays coming at once." Bella was enveloped in Sue's hug.

"I'm so happy for you both. You'll make the cutest family, I swear!" cried Sue.

Bella laughed. "Thanks Sue. The other reason I got you here is because we don't want to tell everyone until I'm at least three months along."

"Of course I won't tell a soul," promised Sue.

"I know you won't. That's why I wanted to ask a favour."

"Anything. Name it."

"Bernard's going to give me a check up, on the sly so to speak before one of the clinics next week and he needs someone to give him a hand. Will you come along?"

"Of course I will. Oh, I'm so excited." Sue took Bella's hands in hers. "How did Edward take the news?"

"He was pretty shocked, as you can imagine. He actually dragged us back here and had me take a blood test to be sure."

Sue shook her head in amazement. "Well, this news has made my day. My week. My year, actually."

With one last hug, they left the room before anyone commented on their absence. All afternoon, as Bella chatted to the new moms she kept thinking that by the end of the year, God willing, she would be holding her own precious baby.

Edward found her just as she was giving a handover to the next nurse and followed her to the staff room.

"I talked to Mom and she's asked us over for dinner tonight. Alice is coming along too."

"Great, we can break the news all at once."

"Get your earplugs ready, okay?" joked Edward. Bella just rolled her eyes and they left the hospital grounds.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"I've got to ring Mom," she told him when they arrived home. "She had a 'feeling' about this but I didn't believe her. She's the one that urged me to take the test."

"Renee is going to be over the moon," he replied with a smile. "Bella, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you thought you could be pregnant?"

Taking his hand and holding it to her heart, Bella looked at him, wanting him to understand her reasoning. "Because I really didn't believe it could be true and I couldn't bear to see the disappointment in your face if the tests were negative. I didn't want to see you hurt."

"If it had been negative, would you have said anything?" asked Edward, already knowing the answer.

Bella shook her head. "No."

"So you would have borne the disappointment all alone?"

"That's better than seeing the pain in your eyes when our hope was dashed."

Taking her in his arms he held her against his heart. "Oh my love. Please don't keep anything from me. We're in this together, for the good times and the bad times. Together we can get through anything, you know that. I hate to think that you would have hurt all alone. Knowing you're hurting is worse than anything the fate could throw at me. Promise me you'll share anything like this with me. Please."

Bella felt the tears spring to her eyes at his words. With a sniffle, she nodded. "I promise. I was so scared when I did the test."

"Scared of what?"

"Scared that it was going to be negative. Scared at how much it would hurt to have my hopes dashed."

"And you did that alone? I would have held you. We would have held each other and we'd have gotten through it."

"I'm sorry."

Raising her chin, he kissed her moist eyelids tenderly before placing the softest of kisses on her lips. "I know I've told you over and over how much I love you, but it's true. I'd do anything for you. Anything. Don't ever shut me out. I can take anything but that."

"No, I promise. And I love you so much that sometimes it actually hurts. Like I can't hold that much emotion inside me. I think our love for each other created our little miracle. How can that much love not manifest itself in some way?"

"You're right. And I understand. I sometimes wake up during the night and simply lie there looking at you and wonder what I did right to have you in my life."

Her heart melted at his words. "I think we both did something right, something good, and we are each other's reward."

"I like that thought." With a final tender kiss he let her go. "Ring Renee while I shower. Tell her I said hello."

Dialling Renee's number Bella steeled herself for the first of their family's reactions.

"Hi Mom," she greeted her mother.

"Well, tell me. Did you take a test?" asked an impatient Renee. She hadn't needed a test but it was still nice to be proven right.

"Yes I did. And you're going to be a grandmother."

Bella held the phone away from her ear as Renee crowed in delight, calling out to Phil and giving him the news.

"Oh my baby! Oh my God, I'm so happy! I knew it, I knew it! My 'sixth sense' is never wrong."

"I'll never doubt you again Mom. You don't want a job at the hospital do you? It would save them a fortune in pregnancy test kits," she joked.

"No thanks," laughed Renee. "Oh, I'm so excited."

"And Mom, Edward and I are planning to get married sometime in June so I hope you'll be able to come over for that."

"Of course! As if I would miss my baby getting married. Oh Bella, I'm just so happy that you're so happy. Edward is a wonderful man and you'll both be such wonderful parents."

"Thanks Mom. I am happy. More than happy."

They talked for a few moments more. "I'll call you when we settle on a date."

"I'll be there with bells on," promised Renee. "I love you baby girl."

"I love you too Mom."

"Give my love to Edward. I couldn't have wished for a better man for you."

"I will. And he sends his love to you too."

After a quick shower, they left for Carlisle's house. Alice and Jasper were already there.

"Ready, my love?" asked Edward kissing her hand.

"Let's get this show on the road."

Esme greeted them warmly, telling them that everyone was in the kitchen. Bella loved this kitchen and hoped one day to have a similar one. She could picture herself and Edward, with their child or children after a day's work or school, the homely smells of the kitchen filling their senses as they talked.

"Bella! How was your trip?" greeted Alice, giving her a hug.

"Great. It was great to see Mom. You're looking good Alice," she said, taking in Alice's dress which showed off her gently rounded belly.

_I'll need to get maternity clothes_, thought Bella excitedly. Thank god she had Alice to help her navigate her way through the world of maternity fashion.

"Thanks. I feel good although junior has grown. I'm finding I'm needing to go the toilet more often and I can't sleep on my stomach anymore which is a total bummer," she grimaced before breaking out into a grin. "I'm hoping I'll have some good news about the wedding?"

"After dinner. We'll tell you after dinner."

Bella turned as Victoria came into the room. The difference in just over a week was remarkable. She had put on a bit of weight and her hair was now soft and shining. Her face had lost some of the haunted look that James had put there. It was replaced by the calm glow of an expectant mother.

"Victoria! How are you? You look so much better than the last time I saw you," exclaimed Bella.

Victoria smiled and looked at Esme with something close to adoration in her eyes. "Yes, it's all thanks to Esme. She's taken such good care of me. I feel like I've gained a mother, something I never had."

"I'm so glad. And how are you feeling?"

"Tired and heavy, but that's normal I suppose. Dr Haas said the baby's head's engaged so I could go into labour at any time."

"That's true, so make sure you have your bag packed, okay?"

Victoria nodded with a smile. "Esme hounded me until I packed one. She took me shopping the other day and we got some clothes for the baby. I've even got a cradle in my room now." Taking Bella's hand, Victoria continued. "Thank you. For all you did for me. You and Dr Cullen."

"You don't need to thank us. I'm glad you're happy and I'm sure Esme is happy you're here too."

"Can I ask a favour of you. You and Dr Cullen?"

"Please, call me Edward," he said as he walked up behind them, his hand on the small of Bella's back. "I think we're way past the formal stage, don't you think?" he smiled gently at the girl.

"Okay. I wanted to ask if, when I have the baby, you and Bella would be the ones to be there, at the hospital?"

"To deliver the baby, you mean?" clarified Edward.

"Yes. I...I trust you both and it would mean a lot to me. I'd feel safe with you there," pleaded Victoria earnestly.

"Of course Victoria," replied Bella.

"Yes, we'll let the staff know to call us when you go into labour," said Edward. "I'll have Esme call me too."

"Thank you!" cried Victoria. "This means so much to me."

Esme got everyone to sit down at the large family table while dinner was served. Edward and Bella told them about their trip, everyone laughing at the tale of Renee's inebriation. The conversation around the table was full of laughter and Bella was so glad that her child would grow up in a family like this.

When they went into the sitting room, Edward pulled Bella down onto his lap as they prepared to tell their news.

"If I can have all your attention for a moment, Bella and I have something we want to tell you."

"You've decided on a wedding date?" cried Alice, clapping her hands excitedly.

Edward glared at his sister. "Yes, that is something we want to talk to you about but there's something else."

With everyone's faces turned towards him expectantly, Edward took a deep breath and looked at Bella. She smiled reassuringly and kissed him before nodding.

"Bella and I have found out something wonderful. Something amazing."

"What Edward?" asked Alice impatiently.

Bella spoke up. "What Edward is trying to tell you is that we are having a baby. I'm pregnant."

And all bedlam broke out with those words.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: I hope you're happy at Edward's reaction. When I first started the story I had thought about making him think Bella had cheated but as the story developed, I felt it would have been OOC for him. That didn't mean he couldn't be disbelieving though.**

**On a serious note, I need to advise you that there is a chance that "Babies" could possibly be deleted by FF. Unfortunately there is a group call Literate Union who have taken it upon themselves to be the self appointed arbiters of what you should be reading. They have decided to target stories that are rated M and it is their mission to have them removed because they don't like them. Apparently we are too stupid to decide if we want to read something. Any story with smut, sex, violence, etc is being targeted and many stories have been pulled. These people are basically nothing but bullies. Taliban, anyone? Apparently it isn't my job to police what my kids reads, it's theirs.**

**A very sad person has decided to report "Babies" because of the sexual content. It doesn't matter that the sex is in the context of a loving relationship between E & B, it offends their sensibilities. People in love tend to have sex. Go figure! This means 'Babies' could just suddenly disappear from your alerts and favourites with no warning, especially if one of those literary thugs reads this AN.**

**Anyway, if it does disappear, I have the story over at Twilighted(dot)net. My penname is Aussiemum1204 and the name is the same. I urge all of you to head over there, sign up and read from a website that doesn't try to censor people's writing. I'm also considering adding it to The Writers Coffee Shop. I didn't want you to think that I've abandoned the story because I wouldn't. Unfinished stories are one of my bugbears. I won't be pulling the story voluntarily because that would mean they win. **

**Shortbritches85 has started a petition to lobby for MA and NC-17 ratings to reinstated and to have stories pulled arbitrarily. It seems the Twilight fandom is being particularly targeted as there are numerous explicit stories on other fandoms which haven't been touched. If you disagree with this sort of censorship and support the right to free speech head to the following link and sign the petition (before the thugs pull that too). The link is http(dot)/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5734048/1/petition**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Thanks so much for your awesome support. I really means a lot to me. If I could I'd give you all a hug. **

**Anyway, I'm still here and don't plan on going anywhere but if the worst happens, you can continue reading on Twilighted or for those who have trouble reading there, I've also posted it on The Writers Coffee Shop.**

**Hope you enjoy the next chapter.**

Chapter 25

Bella and Edward sat in bemusement for a few moments as the room seemed to erupt around them.

Carlisle sat in stunned silence, his mouth falling open. Beside him, Esme burst into tears, her hands covering her mouth in her shock. Jasper grinned widely before bursting into laughter at his wife's reaction. Victoria, not really understanding the extreme reactions of the family smiled at Edward and Bella.

Of course, the most extreme reaction came from Alice. As the words dropped from Bella's lips Alice's eyes seemed to pop out of her head. Bella could almost see her brain processing the words and it was like waiting for that huge clap of thunder that you knew was going to frighten the daylights out of you, no matter how much you were expecting it. Sure enough, the explosion didn't take long.

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! I can't believe it! You're PREGNANT?" shrieked Alice, making Edward wince. His hand came to rest on Bella's stomach as if trying to protect the baby's ears.

Alice jumped up, still quite nimble despite her expanding girth and ran towards them, throwing her arms around the two of them. "Oh my god, this is the most amazing thing. God, I'm going to cry." Kissing them both of their cheeks, she hugged them tightly. Bella and Edward hugged her back and Bella could feel Alice's wet cheek.

"Alice! I can't breathe!" muttered Edward.

With a giggle, Alice let him go but kept hold of Bella. "I'm so happy. So happy. I'm going to be an Auntie. First a mommy, then an Auntie." She let Bella go and began bouncing around in excitement while clapping her hands. "Jazzy, how great is that?" she asked her husband.

"It's fantastic," he agreed. "Ah, babe, should you be jumping around like that in your condition?" he asked a little worriedly, looking at Edward for support.

"Alice, settle down. I don't feel like delivering your baby today," joked Edward wryly before grinning at Bella, who just shook her head.

Esme had finally got a handle on her shock and stood up, her arms spread wide. Edward gently pushed Bella up to her feet and joined her. Still crying, Esme held Bella tightly as she rocked her gently. "Thank you. Thank you so much Bella," she whispered shakily.

Bella couldn't help the tears that flooded her eyes as she was engulfed in Esme's warmth. "There's no need Esme. It's our miracle and it makes me so happy to give you this joy."

"I knew . "Thank you. Thank you so much Bella," she whispered shakily.

Bella couldn't help the tears that flooded her eyes as she was engulfed in Esme's warmth. "There's no need Esme. It's our miracle and it makes me so happy to give you this joy."

"I knew, I just knew, that the two of you were meant to be parents. I see the love between you and I couldn't believe that you wouldn't be able to share it with a chi, I just knew, that the two of you were meant to be parents. I see the love between you and I couldn't believe that you wouldn't be able to share it with a child of your own," she said shakily.

"That's what I told Edward when we found out," agreed Bella.

Letting her go with a soft touch of Bella's cheek, Esme turned and took her son in her arms. "Oh my baby boy, I'm having trouble putting how I feel into words. I knew you were too good a man not to have your dreams of a family come true. If there was anyone in this world that deserved to have a child of his own, it's you."

His eyes tear-filled, Edward held his mother tightly. "Thanks Mom. I'm still trying to believe it myself. I never thought this would happen."

Letting him go, Edward was engulfed by Carlisle. "Congratulations Edward. I'm not sure how this happened but it's terrific."

"Dad, you had me and Edward. I'm sure you know how this happened," quipped Alice, making everyone laugh.

"Cheeky," laughed Carlisle.

As everyone sat down again, the questions started.

"When did you find out?"

"How far along are you?"

"Did you know pregnancy was a possibility?"

"When are you due?"

"When are you getting married?"

Edward held his hands up. "Guys, please. We'll tell you what we know if you give us a chance." Taking hold of Bella's hand he began giving them some answers.

"First of all, we only found out yesterday. As you can imagine, I took a little convincing."

"Yes," interrupted Bella with a laugh. "He dragged me down to the hospital to have a blood test since he didn't trust three pregnancy testers."

"Three?" asked Alice with a disbelieving laugh.

"I know, I know but in my defence, it seemed so unlikely that only a blood test would convince me," agreed Edward.

"Did you suspect you may be fertile again?" asked Carlisle.

Edward shook his head. "Absolutely none at all."

"I suggested Edward get tested, to see how fertile he is now," said Bella.

"I believe that's a good idea," agreed Carlisle.

"Bella, how far along are you?" asked Alice excitedly. "Can you see our kids playing together? Having fun at Christmas time? This is so perfect."

"I'm not quite sure Alice. I haven't had a proper check up and since I wasn't expecting something like this, I didn't really keep tabs. About six or seven weeks I think. I'll know for sure when I have my check up next week."

Alice was doing the mental sums in her head. "So, maybe around November? Just in time for Christmas. How cool!" She clapped her hands in excitement before looking at them seriously. "Guys, we have to arrange your wedding soon, don't you think?"

Bella nodded. "That's the other thing we wanted to talk to you about. Edward and I would like to get married sometime in June. Is that too soon?"

"June! That's perfect. I'm sure I can handle that."

"Alice, you'll be getting closer to your due date by then and I don't want you to wear yourself out," said Edward. "We just want a small intimate wedding with just family and closest friends."

"Why don't you get married here?" suggested Esme. "The gardens will be nearly in full bloom."

"Yes," agreed Alice excitedly. "We hire a small marquee and caterers and it'll be organised in no time. What do you think?"

Edward looked at Bella, seeking her opinion. "What do you think, love? Sound like a good idea to you?"

Leaning across, she gave him a tender kiss. "I think it sounds wonderful." She looked up at Esme. "Thank you Esme. We would love to get married in your beautiful garden."

"That's settled then," said Alice excitedly. "We just have to agree on a date and I'll get it organised."

"Alice, please, don't overdo things," pleaded Bella. "I'm happy to do most of the work."

Alice stood up, straightening her diminutive height and placing her hands on her hips, or where her hips used to be. "Bella, Bella, Bella. You don't know me as well as you think you do if you think a minor thing like pregnancy will stop me. I live for this kind of thing."

Bella giggled at the imperiousness of her tone. "Okay, I'm sorry I doubted you. Although I get final say on everything, alright?"

"Of course, although you won't have any reason to disapprove of anything. Stylish and classy is my middle name."

Edward just shook his head at his little sister. When she got the bit between her teeth, there was simply no stopping her. "Okay squirt, have it your way but I warn you, if I see any sign that it's taking its toll on you on one of your check ups, I'll put my foot down and make you stop."

Alice looked at her brother and could see he was deadly serious. She nodded her head in agreement. "Okay. I promise I'll tell you if I can't handle it."

"And of course, I'll help," Esme piped up. "It'll be a lot of fun."

"Sounds good. And Alice, you'll be matron of honour, won't you?" asked Bella, who found herself smothered by Alice once again.

"Thank you, thank you. Of course I will be. Oh, I can't wait!"

"For the wedding, or the baby?" joked Edward.

"Both, of course."

Edward turned to Jasper. "Jasper, will you be my best man?"

Jasper shook Edward's hand. "It would be an honour, Edward." He leaned over and kissed Bella's cheek. "No getting out of this family now, Bella," he smiled.

"I know. What have we done?" joked Bella.

Bella noticed Victoria hadn't said a word as she just watched the interaction between the family. "You okay, Victoria? You're very quiet."

Victoria shook her head. "I'm fine. I've just been enjoying listening in. I don't quite understand everything but I'm really happy for you both."

Edward smiled gently at the young woman. "I've believed for many years that I couldn't father a child naturally so this is a wonderful surprise for all of us."

"Oh! I understand the reaction now. You guys deserve it though."

"Thank you Victoria. And of course you'll be here for the wedding with your own little one," said Bella.

"I've never been to a wedding before," she said a little sadly.

"All the more reason to enjoy this one," said Alice kindly before giving a wide yawn.

"Okay babe, time to get you home," said Jasper protectively. "I think you've had enough excitement for one night."

Alice giggled. "Wait until Edward starts molly-coddling you, Bella."

Bella laughed and looked at Edward. "You're not going to be overbearingly protective, are you?"

"Of course I am," disagreed Edward with a smile. "I'm going to drive you nuts."

Bella just gave him a mock glare and shook her head. Shortly afterwards they said their goodbyes. As Edward drove away, Bella looked at his strong profile and reached out to caress his jaw, now slightly stubbled.

"Edward, do you mind if we drive by Dad's place? If he's home, I'd really like to give him the news."

Nodding his head, Edward drove towards Charlie's house. "How do you think he'll take the news? Should I be worried?"

Bella giggled. "Of course not. We're not teenagers and we're engaged. He'll be fine."

Edward wasn't totally convinced but he was too happy to let anything dampen his mood. He was getting married to the most beautiful woman in the world in two months and they were having a baby together. Life was wonderful.

Driving up towards Charlie's house, they could see all the lights on. "Look, Jake's here as well. Good, we can tell them both at the same time."

Edward was slightly nervous about telling Charlie and Jacob at the same time. Jake was like Bella's brother and he could have the same reaction as an overprotective brother. He hoped for Bella's sake they were happy for them. Wrapping his arm protectively around her waist, he steeled himself.

With a perfunctory knock on the front door, Bella let them in, calling out to her father. Jacob was the one who came out to greet them.

"Hey guys! What brings you here this late?" he asked quizzically looking from one to the other.

"We have something to tell Charlie. I'm glad you're here Jake although why aren't you out with the guys on a Friday night?" replied Bella.

Jacob just shrugged his shoulders. "I was with them earlier but, I dunno, it's just getting old, you know? Same thing every week. I'm having a better time watching sports with Charlie, to tell the truth."

Bella looked closely at her friend. She could see the sadness and despondency in his eyes. He still hadn't really recovered from Billy's death. There was loneliness there too. Bella wondered whether it might be time for Jacob to leave the Peninsula, to explore the wider world, hopefully find something, or someone, that might fulfil him. He seemed to be stuck in a holding pattern at moment and as much as she loved Charlie, Jacob was too young to settle for spending his evenings with a middle aged man watching television. And if things progressed with Kara, even that might be lost to Jacob.

"Hey Bels, Edward," said Charlie as they entered the room. "Bit late for a social call, isn't it?"

Bella glanced at Edward before pulling him down next to her on the couch. "Sorry about the lateness. We were over at Esme and Carlisle's place and I wanted to drop by because Edward and I have something to tell you."

She looked at Jacob and saw a glint of awareness in his eyes, as if he had guessed their secret already.

"What is it?" asked Charlie warily.

"Dad, we didn't think this would happen, ever, but it has and we're over the moon. Edward and I are expecting a baby."

Edward watched Charlie's face as deadly silence filled the room in complete contrast the reaction from his family. He saw the way Charlie's lips thinned and the clench of his jaw. He really hoped Charlie wouldn't say anything that would dim Bella's joy at the pregnancy. He'd have a hard time forgiving his future father-in-law if Bella was hurt.

Jacob was the first to break the silence, coming over to shake Edward's hand. "Wow, that's great news," he smiled as he lifted Bella up into a hug. "I'm happy for you both. Wow, Bella. You're gonna be a mama!" he grinned. Bella grinned back. He turned to Charlie, giving him a fierce glare. "It's great news, isn't it Charlie?" he asked pointedly.

Charlie took a deep breath and forced himself to smile. "Yeah, yeah. It's good news, Bels." He took his daughter in his arms and hugged her tightly. Edward breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry we took you by surprise, Dad. Believe me, no-one was more surprised than we were but we're so, so happy," smiled Bella blinking back tears.

Edward watched as Charlie's face and body relaxed as he took in the happiness shining from his daughter's eyes and gave her a real smile. "Surprise is an understatement but you guys are adults and if you're happy, then so am I." He shook Edward's hand, who hid the slight wince when his hand was squeezed just a bit too tightly.

"Thanks Dad. I know we've done this in reverse order but we didn't expect this. If it makes you feel better, Edward and I are planning to get married in June, in Esme's garden."

"Great," said Jacob. "I feel like a party."

Bella shook her head at him. "So Dad, be prepared to be dressed by Alice and whatever you do, don't complain if you know what's good for you. Upsetting a pregnant woman can be dangerous." Charlie noticeably shuddered at the thought of being hounded by a pregnant Alice.

"So Edward, ready for sleepless nights and dirty nappies?" laughed Jacob.

"I'm looking forward to it all. Even the dirty nappies," he replied, looking tenderly down at Bella.

She grinned back at him. "That's good. I'll leave that job to you then," she joked.

They stayed for another half hour before heading home. "Charlie took it well, don't you think?" she asked.

Edward gave her an incredulous look. "Were we looking at the same person? I thought he was going to burst a blood vessel for a moment there."

"Don't exaggerate. He was fine," laughed Bella.

"Only because Jacob glared at him, and he's huge."

As they settled down in bed, Bella gave a huge yawn before snuggling close in his arms. "I feel so tired at the moment but at least I haven't got morning sickness."

"Don't speak too soon, love," he replied, kissing her tenderly. He leant down and kissed her stomach. "Goodnight, little one," he murmured before laying back down and looking into her sleepy eyes. "Happy?"

Bella nodded. "More than I can say. I love you, Edward."

"I love you too. Sleep, my love. You need the rest," he whispered as he stroked her hair until her deep breathing told him she'd finally succumbed.

o-o-o-o-o-o

As luck would have it, Bella was rostered to assist in the ante-natal clinic on Monday. Bernard arranged to examine Bella before the first patient appointment with Sue's help. Bella felt like she was involved in some cloak and dagger affair as they all arranged to meet in the clinic office at the appointed time and to be careful not to raise suspicion. Once she passed the three-month mark, she was going to tell everyone but until then, secrecy was the key. All their families had been sworn to secrecy.

She and Edward had caught up on the weekend with a slightly more subdued Alice on Sunday and had decided on a date in June for their wedding. They had also decided against taking a honeymoon because Bella preferred to take time off after the baby was born. Edward had convinced her to let him take her away for a few days to be alone. They'd looked at each other and both thought the same thing. Their favourite suite at the Fairmont. Edward had promised that after their baby was born, they would go on an extended holiday somewhere, their first as a family.

Alice had assured them that she would be able to organise the wedding in the two months they had, no problem. Bella wanted a small, intimate wedding with only their closest friends and family in attendance. Alice had insisted that they would need to get their dresses sorted out as soon as possible as Bella needed to pick a style that could easily accommodate her growing stomach.

"We don't have a moment to lose Bella," warned Alice. "You want to look gorgeous on your wedding day so we need get started as soon as possible."

"Bella looks gorgeous all the time," argued Edward.

Alice just rolled her eyes at her brother. "Edward, trust me. Just stay out of it, okay. This is secret women's business and it's really better for your health and sanity if you do as I say." She gave him a warning glare. "And don't think you'll get out of it all scott free. I'll be getting my hands on you and Jasper to get you all suited up."

Edward decided it was safer to follow her advice and just listened dutifully the rest of the time, only adding his input when asked. Bella grinned at his meekness in the face of his sister's bossiness. Little Alice could be downright scary when she had her benevolent dictator's hat on.

Bella agreed to meet with Alice during the week to begin the all important wedding dress search as well as decide on a theme for the wedding. Alice looked like she was going to enjoy this immensely.

She was now setting up everything in preparation for the clinic when Edward came in and immediately took her in his arms.

"Ready, my love?" he asked, kissing her lightly.

Bella nodded. "Sure am. Imagine, my first pregnancy check up. I'll finally get to find out what our mom's go through first hand," she replied with a smile.

Edward chuckled. "Nothing like first-hand experience, is there?"

Sue and Bernard came in, Bernard making sure the door was securely closed behind him. They didn't want any curious staff wandering in. As an extra precaution, Bernard was going to do the ultrasound in the clinic office.

"Ready to start Bella?" asked Bernard. "Sue, can you do the preliminaries while I get the equipment set up."

"Come on Bella. Let's go," smiled Sue as she led her into the office. "How exciting! Come along Edward, I know you're dying to get started."

Edward chuckled and sat down behind the examination table as Sue proceeded to take blood samples then taking Bella's blood pressure.

As Sue began taking down Bella's history and writing up the notes, Bella felt like the situation was almost surreal. It was usually her asking the questions, writing notes, doing all the tasks that needed to be done on a patient's first ante-natal visit. The touch of Edward's hand against hers brought her back from her musings and she smiled gratefully at him.

"Bit weird for you, love?" he asked, understanding the reason for her faintly glazed look.

"Yeah. Very," she replied.

"You'll soon get used to it," laughed Sue. "And if you felt empathy with our patients before, wait until you go through it all. Never again will you dismiss any of their aches and pains."

"Ok Bella, let's do this ultrasound," said Bernard.

Bella lay down, wincing a little as the cool gel was spread along her belly. Edward took her hand and positioned himself next to her where he could see the screen too, longing for a glimpse of the tiny being growing in her womb. It would make this pregnancy totally real for him, in a way even the blood test hadn't.

Both of them held their breaths as Bernard began moving the Doppler around, searching for the foetus. For those few moments, the fear that Bernard would find nothing there was almost crippling for Edward and he didn't realise he was squeezing Bella's hand so tightly until she tugged on his. He loosened his hold with an apologetic smile, before returning his eyes to the screen.

"Here we go," said Bernard happily.

There on the black and white screen, in all its fuzziness was a tiny little oblong shape. In the centre was a tiny flashing dot, brighter than its surroundings. The baby's heartbeat. Little more than a bundle of cells but formed enough to start beating, as it would until the end of its life. It was the final proof that their baby was real.

Edward stared at the screen, mesmerised. He didn't even notice the tears that fell down his cheeks. He was looking at their baby. Their child. That little shape on the screen, barely bigger than a pea was his son or daughter. He felt Bella's lips on his hand and he tore his eyes from the screen to look at her. Her eyes were wet too, and she gave him a tremulous smile.

Leaning down, he rested his forehead against hers for a few moments as they looked into each other's eyes. "Thank you," he whispered before kissing her lips reverently, their tears of joy mingling.

"I love you," she whispered back.

"I adore you," he replied, kissing her again.

They totally forgot they weren't alone until Bernard cleared his throat loudly. Edward sat up quickly, wiping his eyes as he gave Bernard a self-conscious grin. "Sorry."

Bella looked at Sue who had been watching them, her eyes suspiciously moist. She gave Bella a thumbs up.

"Well, going by the measurements, you're approximately seven weeks pregnant. I've estimated the date of your last period and going by that, your due date is November 21."

Bella looked at Edward whose eyes were glued to the screen again. He couldn't seem to drag them away. "Can you print us a copy of that, Bernard?"

"Of course, my dear. I'll make you one each as I know Edward will want his own copy."

Edward nodded. "That's going in my wallet and Bella's is going on the fridge door."

"Now, I don't have to go through the whole spiel, I'm guessing Bella?" smiled Bernard as he printed the scan and turned off the machine, while Sue cleaned the gel off Bella.

"A November baby. We're going to have a baby by Christmas," said Bella, hardly able to believe it.

Edward leaned forward and kissed her swiftly. "I can't wait. God, I'm so excited," he grinned.

"Well, we've got a clinic to run in five minutes so we'd better get ready," pointed out Bernard.

With great difficulty, Edward and Bella put on their professional faces and prepared for the rest of the day.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"I've got an appointment in Seattle on Friday," said Edward as they drove home that afternoon. He still hadn't completely come down from the high of seeing the ultrasound.

"What for?" asked Bella.

"It's with the fertility specialist I was recommended. To take another sperm count. I rang this afternoon and they fit me in."

"What time?"

"In the morning, so I'm going to drive down early and should be back by early afternoon."

"I'm coming too," said Bella.

"You don't have to, love. I can go on my own. I not worried about the result because I already have what I want most in the world. You and our baby."

Bella leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I want to come. I'm on afternoon shift anyway."

"I don't want you to get too tired if you're working," he said worriedly.

"I'll be fine, Edward."

"What about night shifts? I don't like the thought of you working nights. You need the rest."

"Edward, stop worrying. If I feel I can't cope, I'll speak to my supervisor. I'm not going to wrap myself in cotton wool because I'm pregnant."

"But..."

"Edward," she stopped him with a glare. "I want this baby as much as you and I promise I won't do anything to jeopardise it but I still need to live my life. If you're going to start fussing over every little thing, you're going to drive me crazy."

Edward had the grace to look a little shame-faced. "I just want to take care of you."

"I know you do. And I love you for it. But I won't be put in a bubble, like some incubator. We carry on as normal, making adjustments as required. I'm not ill. You know this. It's just your fears speaking. You give this advice to all our patients. Edward, you need to trust me. I will take care of myself and our baby to the best of my ability. I promise."

Edward stopped that car and turned to look at her, reaching out to stroke her cheek. "I'm sorry baby. I know you'll take care of yourself. Lord knows, if anyone knows about this, it's you. It's just that my protective streak has gone into overdrive and I need to learn to control it. Logically I know that pregnancy is a normal process. As an OB, especially. But when it's the woman you love carrying your baby, logic just flies out the window," he smiled apologetically. "I'll try to not drive you crazy. If I get too overbearing, tell me to pull my head in, okay?"

Grinning, Bella nodded and leaned over to kiss him. "Why do I get the feeling that I'll be telling you to pull your head in a lot during this pregnancy?"

Edward grinned back sheepishly. "You still want to come on Friday?"

"Yes."

"Okay. And I'll trust you to do what's best."

"Good. Let's go home."

That night, Edward couldn't keep his hands off Bella. Just looking at her had him so aroused that he had to stop himself from losing control and possibly being too rough.

Bella was panting underneath him as he kissed and licked his way down her body, worshipping every inch of her skin, her hands gripping his hair.

"Oh, Edward, please," she begged for his mouth on her breasts as she writhed against him.

"Easy love," he whispered, lifting his head to kiss her deeply, his tongue possessing her. He gazed down at her flushed body, her chest rising and falling rapidly as his fingers delicately stroked around her breasts. He took in the subtle changes in her body, only noticeable to him since he knew her body so intimately. Her stomach was still flat and he looked forward to watching it grow month by month. His fingers moved down to caress her stomach before kissing and licking the soft skin there, smiling as he listened to her moan softly.

Next he looked at the breasts he loved so much. To his intense delight, he could see evidence of the changes her pregnancy was causing. Her areolas were slightly darker, now taut and pebbled from her arousal. The hormonal changes had made her breasts subtly increase in size and he felt himself get painfully hard. He knew they were sensitive and planned to use them to give her as much pleasure as he could.

He couldn't wait any longer so he wrapped his lips around one of her nipples while he gently teased the other with his fingers. Bella's groan of delight spurred him on, nipping and sucking on them, wanting to see her lose control.

"Oh god, Edward!" she moaned. "Touch me. Please, I need you to touch me." She opened her legs, begging for relief. Unable to deny her anything, his hand caressed her inner thighs, circling towards her throbbing centre. He could smell her arousal and it took most of his control not to sink himself into her right now and love her furiously.

She whimpered when his fingers finally found her centre and began caressing her aching flesh. "Yes, that's it. Oh yes!" she breathed as he inserted a couple of fingers into her, pumping them slowly.

"That's it, baby," he murmured against her nipple. "That's it. I want to make you cry with pleasure. Come for me, my darling." With his fingers and thumb he pleasured her as he suckled her breasts. Her skin was covered in a sheen of sweat as she got closer to her orgasm.

Without warning, he lifted his head and scooted down her body, positioning himself between her legs. He gazed hungrily at her centre, pink and glistening with desire. With a small groan, he licked her, savouring the taste that was pure Bella. It was heaven, addictive.

As he sucked on her clit, Bella gave a cry as her back arched. He felt her juices flood his tongue as she came around him, heaving in shuddering breaths. Edward eagerly lapped it up as he soothed her.

When she calmed down, Edward sat up between her legs and began massaging her breasts again. Bella smiled lovingly at him as she took his aching member in her hand, running her thumb over the moisture at the tip.

"I love you so much, Bella," he groaned as she gave a small tug. Taking hold of her under her arms, he lifted her up and over him, his penis nudging her entrance.

Bella smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and lowered herself onto him, both of them moaning in pleasure. "I love you too, Edward. I couldn't love you more if I tried."

They were wrapped around each other intimately, every part of their bodies touching, Edward buried deeply within Bella. Neither said a word, they just gazed into each other's eyes, the noses and lips touching. Rocking together, they savoured the intimacy of their lovemaking, showing each other with their bodies how much adored the other. It was so much more than sex. It was a sharing of their souls.

The tension built slowly as they rocked together faster and faster, their breathing becoming laboured. Edward took her nipple in his mouth as Bella leaned back, the slight change in position making her gasp in pleasure. Placing his hands on her behind, he bucked into her.

"God, Bella, I'm going to come," he groaned into her throat.

"Yes, yes," she panted, bouncing up and down on him. "God, yes!"

Reaching down between their bodies, Edward rubbed her clit as he kissed her deeply and it was the trigger for her release. Sobbing with pleasure, she seemed to come all around him, not just where they were joined and it was enough to send Edward over the edge. Tugging on her hair, she exposed her neck to his mouth where he sucked on it as he came hard, leaving him almost lightheaded.

They sat there for ages, loath to pull apart, their pulses settling down gradually.

Edward kissed her tenderly, both knowing their lovemaking had an almost spiritual quality to it tonight. Raising their hands, they simply stroked each other's faces, savouring the closeness.

"I love you. I love that you're carrying our baby. Thank you for giving me everything I ever wanted," he whispered against her lips.

Bella felt a couple of tears fall at the tenderness of his words. "You're everything I ever wanted. You and our baby. I don't need anything else."

o-o-o-o-o-o

The next morning, Bella woke up and got out of bed needing to go to the bathroom. As she stood up, she felt a wave of dizziness come over her and she needed to sit down for a moment as it passed. After a minute or so, it passed and she hopped in the shower.

She was walking into the kitchen, where Edward was preparing them breakfast when she smelled the familiar aroma of fresh coffee. Brewing coffee was one of Bella's favourite smells but as she took in the usual deep breath, a wave of nausea hit her and she felt her stomach heave. Covering her mouth, she gave a small groan as she rushed from the kitchen and raced to the bathroom.

Edward followed closely behind and knelt down beside her, holding her hair back as she leant over the toilet bowl and threw up the meagre contents of her stomach. Even after there was absolutely nothing to throw up, her stomach continued heaving. Edward steadily stroked her back the whole time.

Finally, the nausea passed and Bella sat back, Edward's arms around her.

"Ugh. God, that's horrible," she groaned. "I guess I'm not going to escape the dreaded morning sickness," she said ruefully.

"Guess not, my love," murmured Edward. "Poor baby. I wish I could go through it for you."

"Me too," she quipped feebly. "I think the coffee set me off."

"I'd better get you some dry toast. Hopefully it'll settle your stomach," he said as he lifted them up off the floor. "I'll toss out the coffee."

"No, don't do that. I'll be fine."

He kissed the top of her head before leaving her to brush her teeth and get that horrible taste out of her mouth. She looked at herself in the mirror and hoped fervently that her morning sickness wouldn't be too bad, like some patients she'd had.

The dry toast helped a little but she had to excuse herself a couple of times during the day and hurry to the toilet. She'd brought a spare toothbrush and toothpaste just in case this happened at work and she sighed as brushed her teeth. There was nothing to be done but to endure it. It would be worth it in the end, Bella told herself.

On Friday morning they travelled to Seattle to see the fertility specialist. Bella had helped Edward collect the sperm sample, making the normally awkward process a lot more enjoyable. They went to have an early lunch while the testing was being carried out.

Now they sat in Dr Saunders' office waiting to hear the verdict. Edward was intensely curious to know exactly how fertile he was. It was quite surreal in many ways. From believing he was completely infertile to finding out just how many swimmers he now had.

"Ok, Dr. Cullen," began the other doctor.

"Edward, please."

"Edward," nodded Dr Saunders. "Now, I read over your history and I have to say you're an interesting case. Your cancer treatment was quite aggressive and the chances of you starting to produce motile sperm again was extremely low."

"I know that. And yet, Bella is pregnant so obviously something changed."

"Yes. According to the tests, you are definitely producing sperm again." Edward felt Bella squeeze his hand. "Now, you're not producing the number that the average male your age would. You would be classed in the lower range but what's there is very motile. And as you know, it only takes one," smiled Dr Saunders.

Edward looked at Bella who grinned at him in delight.

"So, congratulations to both of you and I would advise that unless you plan to have more children in quick succession, I would investigate suitable methods of contraception once this child is born." He smiled at both of them. "As I said, I'm quite astonished but, as you know, the human body sometimes astounds us all."

"Dr. Saunders. No one, and I mean no one, could have been more astounded than me."

"I'm not even going to question it. It's a miracle and I'm just going to be grateful for it," said Bella quietly.

"Yes. Our little miracle," agreed Edward as he kissed her.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: I love Daddyward to be. **

**Let me know you think.**

**On a sadder note, I just want to send my thoughts and prayers to those affected by the huge earthquake in Chile. I was born there and most of my extended family live there so this one has hit close to home. Luckily, all my family is okay but a lot of people have been affected and hope they get back on their feet soon.**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Hi everyone. I'm really grateful for all the reviews and to everyone who's put me on their alerts. You guys absolutely make my day.**

**Thanks to MrsKatyCullen for going over the chapter for me.**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 26

"These are some designs that I think will look great on you and will accommodate your tummy. I mean, you might not even be showing by June but then again," mused Alice, looking at Bella's stomach.

Edward had been called into the hospital just before Alice came over with a pile of books and samples. They had been going over wedding details for the last couple of hours and Bella was feeling decidedly hungry although she was reluctant to eat because she'd been sick twice already this morning

"Bella? Are you listening? You okay?"

Focusing on Alice again, she gave a faint nod. "Yeah, just hungry."

"Oh my gosh, I forgot what time it was!" exclaimed Alice. "No wonder you're not concentrating. Let's get something delivered."

"Okay but I'm a bit wary. This morning sickness seems to have taken hold," complained Bella. "I've only been able to keep food down from the afternoon. Before that and just the smell of certain things have set me off."

Alice shook her head sympathetically. "It's horrible isn't it? I'm so glad that part's over," she mused, rubbing her neatly rounded belly.

"That's for sure," agreed Bella. "I've tried eating dry toast, cracker biscuits, basically everything I've advised patients over the years, and I've learned it's all a load of baloney. Nothing's working at the moment."

"You poor thing. How did you manage at work?"

"I'm trying to be discreet but I'm pretty sure some people have put two and two together. They've just been too polite to come right out and ask."

"Have you been sick when you've been delivering a baby?" asked Alice curiously.

Bella shook her head. "No, thank god. It doesn't seem to set me off. Maybe because I'm so used to it, I don't know. I hope it stays that way. It would be awful if I had to run from the room in the middle of a delivery."

Alice giggled at the thought. "Let's cross our fingers."

Bella ordered in a pizza and hoped she'd be able to eat it without it coming straight back again. While they waited, they looked through the books, trying to decide what style would be best.

"I think an empire waisted style would be ideal," suggested Alice. "There are some beautiful materials you could use and the bodice could be more intricately decorated. And it wouldn't matter how big you are."

"And it would mean you could wear a similar style," agreed Bella. They continued looking through the pictures as they ate the pizza which Bella managed to keep down, much to her relief.

By the time Edward returned, they still hadn't settled on a dress but had narrowed it down to a few styles. Alice was going to take Bella into Seattle during the week to look around a few boutiques to get a better idea of what would suit her.

On the other hand, Bella had picked the menu and theme. She was aiming for simple but elegant. She and Alice had an appointment with the caterers during the week and Alice had already booked a marquee complete with tables and chairs. After deliberating for a few days Bella had decided to go with a navy and cream colour scheme for the reception. Alice had recommended a company that would organise all the small details, like decorations and such and they'd made another appointment to see them. Bella was amazed to find out how much organisation even a small wedding took. She hoped that once the initial decisions were made, they could take things easier. And as much as Alice revelled in this sort of thing, Bella didn't want her to overdo things.

"How's it going?" asked Edward as he sat down next to Bella, giving her a kiss on the cheek and gently rubbing his hand over her belly. "Not been too sick have you, love?"

Bella shook her head. "Only couple of times this morning. I managed to keep lunch down. And we've made appointments for next week so it's coming along."

"I'm going to have to get you, Jasper and Charlie down to the tailors to get your suits organised," said Alice. At Edward's pained look, she laughed. "Don't look like that, Edward. It's one little thing you guys have to do. I'll set it up in the next couple of weeks so give me your schedule."

"Okay Miss Bossy. How does Jasper put up with you?"

"He loves it when I boss him around," she smirked.

"Or he tells you that to keep the peace," muttered Edward under his breath. Unfortunately Alice heard and threw a cushion at his head.

Only a couple of months to go and Bella would be his wife. He couldn't wait.

o-o-o-o-o-o

A couple of weeks later and most of the wedding arrangements were in place. Alice had managed to get the guys to the tailor without too much grumbling. Charlie had complained about bossy, pregnant women but Bella knew he was secretly fond of the little pixie.

After his initial less than enthusiastic response to the news of Bella's pregnancy, Charlie was now eagerly awaiting his first grandchild. When they explained the circumstances of her pregnancy and how much it meant to both of them, Charlie had apologised for his reaction, explaining that although logically he'd expected this, it was still hard as a father to accept that his little girl was grownup, no matter how old she was.

Now that he was going to be a father, Edward could understand Charlie's reaction and didn't have any hard feelings. Charlie was a father; it was his job to be overprotective. He knew he'd have trouble letting go too.

Bella's morning sickness had settled a little as well. She generally felt sick in the morning and by lunchtime was feeling alright. Edward had taken to bringing her a cup of tea and dry toast in bed as it helped settle her stomach somewhat. Now she wasn't throwing up every day, which Bella was very grateful for. Unfortunately, the smell of coffee gave her such bad nausea that Edward had stopped drinking it at home, waiting until he got to work before grabbing a cup. Bella hated being the one to do this but just a whiff of coffee had seen her run for the bathroom. She now avoided the cafeteria altogether. Hopefully things would get back to normal once the morning sickness disappeared.

The other side effect was that they were unable make love in the mornings, at least for the time being. They had discovered this fact when Bella woke up with Edward's hands wandering over her torso and reaching up to cup her breast, teasing her taut nipple. Bella had sighed and pushed back against his erection, eliciting a soft groan from Edward as he nibbled on her neck. His hand had slowly moved downwards as he sought access to her sex, now tingling in anticipation. Turning her head, Edward had captured her lips, kissing her deeply, his tongue gaining access to her warm mouth at the same time as his finger flicked over her sensitive nub. As Bella moved to lie on her back, to her horror, she felt her stomach lurch, the now familiar wave of nausea washing over her. She took a couple of deep breaths hoping to stem the wave but to no avail. Ripping her mouth from his, she rolled off the bed and practically ran to the bathroom, all desire now gone. She barely made it, kneeling down as her stomach gave a huge heave. She barely noticed that Edward had followed her and was holding her hair back as she was sick. When it passed she sat back with a moan, Edward holding her close.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, on the verge of tears.

Edward kissed her temple as he stroked her back. "Don't be silly. It's not your fault. Here, let's get you up so you can rinse your mouth out." Helping her to her feet, he got the toothbrush ready for her. After she was cleaned up, he led her back to bed and tucked the covers over her. "Feeling better?"

"A little."

"I guess we'll have to leave our amorous activities to the evening for the time being," he grinned as he gently stroked her cheek.

"I guess so."

"Would you like something to eat? I'll get your tea and toast if you feel up to it."

Bella nodded. "Thanks." Reaching up, she traced his lips with her finger. "Thank you for taking such care of me."

"I love you. I want to take care of you. And the little one. You're doing all the work, it's the least I can do," he said, giving her a soft kiss.

When the same thing happened again a few days later, they'd agreed it wasn't going to work until the morning sickness disappeared.

Bella was now ten weeks pregnant and had told her supervisor of her pregnancy. Karen had promised that she could take any time she needed which Bella was grateful for, particularly with the wedding coming up. She was due to see Bernard for her next check up next week and was looking forward to seeing that everything was progressing well.

It was just past five in the morning when the phone rang. "Hello?" mumbled Edward.

Bella opened one eye as she listened to Edward speaking. When he hung up, he turned to her. "That was Mom. Victoria's gone into labour."

"How far apart are the contractions?"

"About eight to ten minutes at the moment so she's probably got a while to go. I told her to ring me when they come down to five minutes and we'll meet her at the hospital."

Three hours later Esme rang again to let them know Victoria's contractions were coming every five minutes now. Bella and Edward made their way to the hospital and got the labour suite ready while waiting for Victoria and Esme to arrive. Thirty minutes later they got there, Victoria clutching her stomach. She had a sheen of sweat on her face as she grimaced through another contraction.

"Hello Victoria. So the big day's arrived?" smiled Edward. Victoria smiled grimly as she nodded. "Hi Mom," he said, giving his mother a kiss.

"Hello darling. Hello Bella," replied Esme, giving Bella a hug.

Bella took Victoria's arm and led her towards the birthing suite. "Let's get you comfortable. Or as comfortable as we can." They all entered the suite and Victoria got changed before being helped onto the bed.

"Okay Victoria. We're going to check your blood pressure and the baby's heartbeat and then I'll see how far dilated you are, okay?" said Edward gently. As Bella placed the foetal monitor on Victoria's distended stomach, the baby's heartbeat sounded loudly around the room. Victoria gave everyone a huge smile.

"Sounds very content in there," smiled Bella. "How's the pain?"

"It hurts but I've had worse," replied Victoria sadly, remembering painful events in the past.

"Remember, if you want anything for the pain, just let us know, okay?" said Bella.

Edward was just about to check her cervix when another contraction started. Victoria gripped Esme's hand as she grimaced through it. Bella felt Victoria's stomach and could feel the muscles contracting sharply. She was definitely well in established labour but it was anyone's guess how long before the baby arrived.

When it passed, Edward conducted the internal exam. "You're about six centimetres dilated and you're doing really well."

"How long will it take?" groaned Victoria as another contraction started. Esme encouraged her to breathe deeply. "Ohhhhh!"

"We don't know that. It's up to your body," replied Edward.

"Victoria, would you like to walk around or get into another position?" asked Bella. "I want you to do whatever feels right for you. We'll be checking the baby's heartbeat every fifteen minutes or so, just to make sure everything's progressing normally but in the meantime, do whatever helps you cope with the pain."

Victoria nodded. "Can I walk around a bit?"

They helped her off the bed and Victoria began walking around the large room, supported by Esme. As a contraction started, she would stop and lean against the wall or whatever was close to hand, and breathe through it.

A couple of hours later Victoria groaned out loud. "I can't keep going. It hurts too much."

They helped her back on the bed and raised the back so she was sitting up, panting loudly. By now, her hair was damp and her face was red from coping with the pain. She asked for gas and was sucking deeply when the pain started.

"Woo! I feel like I'm floating!" she giggled after the contraction finished. The gas was making her light-headed. She looked at Bella and burst out laughing. It wasn't called laughing gas for nothing. The laughing stopped abruptly when another contraction started and she cried out. "Damn, it hurts!"

The contractions were getting closer and closer together, and Victoria was groaning continuously now, tears running down her face. Esme was doing her best to comfort her but nothing really helped.

"Give me something for the pain! I can't stand it!" cried Victoria.

"I'm going to check you again, okay. I can't give you anything if you're close to the transition stage," said Edward. Pulling on his gloves he carried out the examination. After a couple of minutes he gestured to Bella to get the birth kit ready. "Unfortunately I can't give you any painkillers. You're fully dilated so it won't be long now. "

"Thank god!" cried Victoria.

The next fifteen minutes were hectic as Victoria went through the transition stage. She was sobbing and just wanted the pain to end, Esme doing her best to comfort the distressed girl telling her how wonderful it will be to hold her baby at last.

"Oh god! I have to push!"

Bella and Edward were gowned up and prepared to deliver the baby. "Ok Victoria, push during a contraction okay? Bear down and push as hard as you can."

Victoria, sensing that the end of this pain was mercifully in sight, pushed with all her might.

"Arrghh! God dammit!" she cried out as she lay back panting frantically.

"You're doing really well," said Bella, stroking the girl's hair.

"Yes Victoria. I can see the head and I think a couple more pushes and we'll have the head out," agreed Edward.

As he spoke the next contraction started. "Push Victoria. That's it, that's it."

Victoria went bright red as she grunted through the contraction. "Good girl Victoria," encouraged Bella. "One more and the head will be out."

Victoria nodded and when the contraction started, she gave an almighty groan and bore down as hard as she could. She cried out at the burning sensation as the head emerged from the birth canal.

"_Ahhhh!"_

"Head's out. Now, pant Victoria while I turn the shoulders," said Edward, removing the cord which was wrapped around the baby's neck and gently turning it.

"One more push Victoria and you'll have your baby."

When the contraction began Victoria pushed and with a plop, the baby emerged into the world, Edward expertly catching it. Victoria lay back with relief, trying to get air into her lungs.

"Congratulations Victoria. You have a little boy," said Edward, lifting the baby onto Victoria's chest before cutting the umbilical cord and doing a quick visual examination of the infant. The baby gave a loud wail in protest at being removed from its warm haven.

Bella watched as Victoria burst into tears as she looked her baby, all red, scrunched up and covered in blood and amniotic fluid. "He's beautiful," she sobbed, touching his little face reverently. "Isn't he beautiful, Esme?"

"He sure is," agreed a misty-eyed Esme. "Hello little guy," she crooned, touching his cheek.

"Congratulations," said Bella, feeling quite emotional herself. Hormones, she told herself. And the fact that she was happy Victoria's life was looking rosier than when they'd first met her. She turned and looked at Edward, who was smiling back at her. Both of them were thinking about when Bella would be the one holding their baby.

Victoria reluctantly let her son go so he could be weighed, measured and cleaned up before being returned to her.

"He's a very healthy 8 pounds, 6 ounces and everything looks fine," said Edward as he handed the baby back to his mother.

"Do you have a name for him?" asked Bella.

Victoria looked down at her son and smiled tenderly. "I'm going to call him Robert Carlisle Brennan." Esme gave her a wide smile.

"That's a lovely name, Victoria," replied Bella.

Edward quietly delivered the placenta and they cleaned Victoria up. Esme held little Robbie while Victoria showered and they were transferred back to the ward.

A couple of hours later, Carlisle arrived with Alice and Jasper in tow to greet the new arrival. Victoria was recovering really well from the birth and had managed to give Robert his first feed. She was so touched that this wonderful family was welcoming her son into the world that she couldn't help the tears well up as they fussed over him. She felt a brief tinge of sadness that James wasn't here to see his son like a proper father should but pushed that thought away. He had made his choice and she couldn't dwell on it. Little Robbie needed her now and she was going to be the best mother possible.

Making sure Victoria was settled, Bella and Edward bid her goodnight. It had been a while since they'd eaten so he took her out for pizza on the way home.

"I noticed you weren't sick today," said Edward as they ate.

"No I wasn't," nodded Bella. "Let's hope it means that the worst is over."

"Yeah. I hate seeing you like that. I feel responsible and I just want to make it better."

"Well, you _are_ responsible, you know," smiled Bella at his chagrined look. "If you weren't so damned sexy that I want to make love to you all the time, I might not be in this position," she joked as she rubbed her abdomen.

Edward's green eyes darkened. "You think I'm sexy, do you?"

Bella leaned forward so their mouths were nearly touching over the table. "You're hot and you know it," she replied huskily.

"Well, you're so gorgeous that I could stay buried inside you forever." He could see Bella's face flush with desire. "And you turn me on so much that I have force myself not to think of how you moan when I'm inside you, how you feel around me, while we're working together. You make me hard just by looking at me."

Bella's breathing was getting laboured and she could feel herself getting wetter with each word. If she didn't have him inside her soon, she was going to go crazy. "Let's go," she said urgently, her meaning plain.

Nodding enthusiastically, Edward threw some money on the table and followed her outside, hoping her body would shield the evidence of his erection. As they got to the car, Edward pushed Bella back against it and pressed his body against hers, letting her feel how wound up he was as he kissed her desperately. Bella moaned into his mouth as he ground against her.

"Oh baby, I want you," he breathed against her jaw as he pressed kisses down to her throat.

"Yes," she breathed, reaching down between their bodies and cupping his hardness.

Breathing rapidly, Edward stepped back and quickly unlocked the door, helping Bella inside. As he got in, she reached out and pulled him towards her, their mouths devouring each other. Neither knew why they had this sudden desperation for each other but neither wanted to fight it. Bella moaned as his hand flicked open enough buttons to enable his hand to cup and massage her breast.

The sound of other patrons leaving the restaurant brought them back to earth. They were making out in his car like a couple of teenagers in full view of passers-by. Edward sat back reluctantly and grinned at her.

Bella grinned back and naughtily reached down and pressed on his rampant erection, making him groan out loud. "Let's go somewhere more private."

"Okay baby. We'll be home in a few minutes," he replied, starting the engine.

"No, I don't want to go home," replied Bella huskily.

Edward looked at her, puzzlement and disappointment warring on his face. "What? Why not?" God he was so aroused, he was ready to burst and he knew she was too.

"I want to do it in the car. We haven't done that before," she replied.

He gaped at her for a few moments. He didn't know what had gotten into her but he certainly wasn't complaining. "In the car? You sure?" She pulled him to her and kissed him deeply in reply, her hand flicking open the button of his trousers. "Let's go."

Surrounded as it was by thick forest, there were no shortage of secluded dirt roads and trails around Forks where lovers could go for privacy. Edward lost no time finding the closest one, and stopped well away from the main road. As soon as he turned off the engine, Bella almost threw herself across the console and began kissing him passionately. It wasn't long before she was straddling him as he pulled her shirt off and nuzzled her breasts.

When he took off her bra and began suckling on her, Bella ground herself against his erection, getting more and more aroused. Edward undid her trousers and slid his hand into her panties to touch her aching wetness. Bella panted harshly as he teased her, bucking against his hand.

"Oh god, Edward!" she cried as she came against his hand, burying her face in his shoulder as she shuddered in pleasure.

Taking his hand from her, Edward opened the door and lifted her out of the car. He followed her out and hastily opened the back door. Kissing her deeply, he pulled her trousers and panties off.

"Lie down," he urged against her shoulder as his fingers teased her nipples. Bella nodded but pulled off his shirt first, caressing his chest and abdomen, feeling his muscles ripple as she touched him. Her hands fumbled with his zipper before pulling it open. He was so hard, she struggled a little getting his boxers off but finally he was able to step out of them.

"God Bella," he groaned as she took him in her hand and stroked him, loving the velvety feel.

"Make love to me," she pleaded, desperate to have him inside her.

Guiding her head, Edward helped her lay down on the back seat of the Volvo, following her down and settling himself between her legs. It was a bit cramped but the feel of her heat against his aching member banished all thought except the need to be inside her.

"God, I love you," he groaned as he pushed into her, his eyes closing in ecstasy as her warmth surrounded him.

Bella threw her head back and clamped her arms and legs around him, urging him even deeper. Soon there was only the sound of their laboured breathing, the car's windows totally fogged up as Edward thrust into her.

"Oh baby, I can't hold out much longer," mumbled Edward as he felt himself getting close to oblivion.

"_Unnnghhh!"_ moaned Bella as the first ripples of her orgasm began where they were joined. It soon became a tidal wave that spread through her whole body as she cried out, her hands clenched in his hair.

Edward felt her pulsating warmth clamp around him as she came and it was enough to send him over the edge. His face buried in the crook of her shoulder, he spilled himself inside her, his body trembling in reaction.

They lay there panting for several minutes, their bodies cooling down. Edward lifted his head, now damp with sweat, and kissed her gently. Not wanting to squash her, he pulled out of her and shifted around so she sat on his lap, arms around each other.

Neither said much for a while, just savouring their closeness. Edward rested his hand on her belly as he kissed her shoulder. He was the first to break the silence.

"Boy, what was that?" he asked her. "I'm not complaining but what brought that on?"

Bella blushed now that their desire was sated and she remembered how she had insisted on making love in the car like a horny teenager. "I'm sorry. I don't really know what came over me."

Edward chuckled and kissed her cheek. "Like I said, I'm not complaining. It was a real turn on but why the car?"

Bella shrugged. "I've never done it in a car before. I wanted to experience it before I get too big."

"Yeah, I can see that it will be pretty much impossible in a few months," he laughed gently. "And I'm absurdly glad this is your first time. Although, I have to admit, it's not quite as comfortable as our bed. Thank goodness I don't have a Mini, or it would have been out of the question."

Bella giggled at his expression then shivered as the night air finally penetrated her overheated skin. Edward felt the shudder run through her. "Come on love. I don't want you getting a chill."

As they drove home, they held hands. "I enjoyed that. It was hot," said Bella looking at his gorgeous face.

Edward gave her a loving smile. "Oh yeah. It was hot."

o-o-o-o-o-o

Two days later, Bella received a call from Charlie during her break. Frowning because Charlie never called her at work, she took the call. "Hey Dad. What's the matter?"

Charlie sighed which made Bella even more nervous. "I've got some bad news. The idiot, bleeding heart judge gave James bail. He's out again."

Bella felt sick at the news. How could that monster have been set free after everything he'd done?

"How can that be?"

"Dammit, it's so frustrating," replied Charlie. "It seems his state-appointed lawyer is some sort of do-gooder and he managed to con her into believing that he wants to be a good father and deserves another chance. The judge believed it and gave him bail. He imposed strict bail conditions that he not contact Victoria or be anywhere near her, but I doubt that will stop him."

"Oh god, Dad. Do you think he'll try to find her?" Bella's mind was racing awful scenarios. She had to tell Edward and warn his family.

"I don't know. I hope not. He knows he'll go straight back in jail if he does and there'll be no possibility of bail but he's a nasty piece of work and I wouldn't put anything past him."

"What can we do?" asked Bella.

"I'm going to send extra patrols around the trailer park and I'm going to assign some men to patrol around the hospital as he'd have more chance of finding her there than at Carlisle's. I'll have a word with Carlisle and have him issue a warning to the hospital's security guards to keep an eye out in case he tries to get in while Victoria's still there."

Bella felt nauseous at the thought that James could come in here and hurt Victoria or her baby. She could believe he would be spiteful enough to do it. After all, he had no qualms about beating her while she was pregnant.

"I'm going to tell Edward right now."

"Okay. We'll cross our fingers that he won't be stupid enough to do anything but I want you to be careful."

"He doesn't know me Dad, so I doubt he'll come after me. No, it's Victoria I'm worried about."

"Well, just be careful. Don't go out on your own. Make sure Edward's with you."

Bella reassured her father as well as she could and then went to find Edward. He was in his office doing paperwork, his welcoming smile fading as he saw the worried look on her face.

"What is it, love?"

She told him what Charlie had said, worry lacing her voice. Edward came around the desk and took her in his arms, holding her tightly. "I won't let anything happen to you, baby."

Bella nodded against his chest. "I'm more worried about Victoria. What if he tries to get to her? What if he finds out she's staying with Esme?"

"Shh, love. We'll go warn Dad. If he tries to get in here, someone will see him."

They found Carlisle down in ER. Charlie had already contacted him so he'd brought in more security staff to patrol the grounds. "We have to make sure we don't send everyone into a panic. He may not even show up. He didn't want the baby before he was born, so it's probable he won't care now. Besides, he doesn't know Victoria's had the baby."

"That's easy enough to find out in a town this size, Dad, but you're right. There's no point panicking. We just have to be vigilant."

"How long is Victoria staying in hospital?" asked Carlisle.

"Probably another couple of days," replied Edward, looking at Bella for confirmation.

"Yes, we want to make sure Robbie's feeding well and that Victoria get's all the help she needs. She's had no role models growing up so this is all completely new to her. Thankfully Esme will be on hand to give her guidance," said Bella.

"Good," nodded Carlisle. "I would suggest that when she's discharged we take her home at night, in case he's watching. We don't want him following us home."

"Good idea, Dad," agreed Edward. "We'll work it out before she leaves."

"I wish he would just stay away. I don't understand how he got bail," said Bella.

"The judiciary has been known to make incomprehensible decisions," agreed Edward. "This one's just insane."

As they walked back to Maternity, Bella sought Edward's opinion on whether Victoria should be told of James' release.

"I hate to worry her, but I think she has a right to know. She'll find out anyway since she's going to be the main witness when he goes to trial. We have to stress that she and Robbie will be safe with Carlisle and Esme," replied Edward.

Bella agreed. "Yes, she needs to be told. I'll try to find an appropriate time to tell her. Do you want to be there?"

"Only if you need me."

He gave her a last hug as they went back to work. "Everything will be okay, baby," he murmured, stroking her back. "I promise." Giving him a quick, tender kiss, Bella went back to work.

Edward didn't know he would have cause to regret promising that all would be well a few hours later that afternoon.

Finding Victoria quietly resting while Robbie was asleep, Bella took the opportunity to tell her what was going on.

"Oh god, he's going to come for me!" cried Victoria, ready to take her baby and bolt. "I've got to get out of here. I can't let him hurt Robbie!"

Bella put her arms around the other girl. "Victoria, you're safe here and with the Cullen's. We won't let anything happen to either of you. My father is posting more police in the area and Carlisle's brought in more security, just in case. James knows he'll be in a whole lot of trouble if he comes near you, so he'll most likely stay away."

Victoria shook her head. "You don't know him like I do. He's a vicious bastard and he'll be filthy that I called the cops on him. Oh god, what if he hurts Robbie? He knows that would be the best way to hurt me. Worse than if he just beat me up again," cried Victoria, tears running down her cheeks.

"He doesn't know you've had Robbie."

"He'll know by now."

"Victoria, please calm down. Like I said, there are security guards around the hospital and if he got in here somehow, they would be here within minutes. I want you to keep the buzzer next to you at all times while you're here. When you're discharged, we'll get you out at night to lessen the chances of him following."

"Minutes is all he'll need," sniffed Victoria. Her brain was whirring away trying to sort out her options. She didn't want these good people to suffer because of her. If James hurt Esme, she couldn't live with herself. No, she would have to take Robbie and run.

She looked at the angelic face of her baby son as another, heartbreaking option presented itself. If she had to run, how could she subject her baby to a life with no security, no certainty? She had no money, no home, nothing. She'd struggle to keep herself alive, much less a newborn. As tears rolled down her face, she knew that she may have to leave her son behind. He would have a better life with the Cullen's, even if she was dead inside. She'd never hated James as much as she did right now.

Bella watched as all the happiness leached from Victoria's face and longed to be able to guarantee that James wouldn't come after her but she knew she couldn't. Again she cursed the judge for not considering the effects his releasing a monster like James on bail had on his victim.

Trying once again to reassure her, she left Victoria to her unhappy thoughts and carried on with her duties. She'd quietly told the other nurses on duty of the situation, asking them to be vigilant.

Just over an hour later, Bella was at the nurses' station when the alarm buzzer sounded from Victoria's room.

"Call security," she called out as she ran towards to her room, praying there was nothing wrong.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

As she entered the room, she could see Victoria cowering in a corner, holding Robbie as she tried to shield him from the man standing over her. How the hell had James snuck through security?

"You bitch! Call the cops on me, will you?" he cried, raising his leg in order to kick her.

Without thinking of herself, Bella cried out as she raced to stop him. "No! Don't you dare hurt her!" Bella grabbed hold of his arm and tried to pull him away.

James turned his crazed eyes on the newcomer. "Get the fuck away from me," he growled and pushed Bella away savagely. Bella fell against the bed, winded.

"Leave her alone! Leave us alone!" screamed Victoria. The noise and the tension in his mother's arms got Robbie crying.

"So, that's him, is it? Maybe I should just take him. You'd hate that, wouldn't you?" he sneered.

"Touch him and I'll kill you," shrieked Victoria.

James laughed and lunged forward, taking hold of a fistful of her hair and yanking it back, making her cry out in pain. "Nah, I don't want a screaming brat. I'll just take care of you so you won't ever snitch on anyone ever again."

Bella was horrified to see him pull out a six-inch knife from his pocket. "NO!" Again she threw herself at him and managed to make him lose his balance momentarily, enough to let Victoria's hair go. Without pause, Victoria slid down and tried to scamper away, while holding the baby.

James, furious at Bella, raised his arm to hit the interfering bitch when a shout from the door made him pause.

"Get back or I'll shoot you!" cried the hospital security guard, holding a gun towards James. "If you touch either of those women, I'll shoot. I promise you, I will."

Another security guard arrived also pointing his gun at James. Swivelling his head, James saw he was effectively trapped in this room. He did the first thing he thought of. He grabbed Bella and wrapped his arm around her neck, holding the knife to her throat.

"I'll kill her if you don't let me out of here!" he growled, tightening his hold on Bella.

Bella was terrified. So terrified she could feel her stomach roiling in protest at the stress her body and emotions were being subjected to.

"Please, don't hurt me," she pleaded in a hoarse whisper.

"Shut up, bitch," he growled, yanking her backward.

"Let her go, James," cried Victoria. "Take me instead."

"No," protested Bella.

"Say another word and I swear I'll cut that neck of yours," he yelled in her ear.

Bella closed her mouth and couldn't help the tears falling. How would she get out of this? How would Edward cope if something happened to her? She covered her stomach protectively. She had to get away. She had to protect her baby.

"Bella!" Edward's terrified voice rang throughout the room. Bella looked up and met his frantic gaze. He made to lunge forward and was held back by the guard.

"No, he might hurt her," warned the guard.

"Bella, are you alright? Let her go!" he ordered.

James just laughed and tightened his grip. "Yeah? Says who?"

"Touch one hair on her head and I'll rip you limb from limb!" warned Edward, his face like stone.

"I promise you won't get out of here alive if you hurt her."

Edward looked at Bella with something akin to despair in his eyes. He'd promised he'd look after her and now she was being held hostage by a crazed monster only a few hours later. He had to do something. He couldn't lose his precious Bella. He'd never survive without her. He could see her holding her stomach, trying to protect their child and he wanted to weep. He knew he would sooner lose the baby than lose Bella. He prayed he wouldn't have to make that choice.

Bella's tears were flowing down her face as she looked at Edward's beloved face. She could see the agony and guilt in his eyes and wanted to tell him that none of this was his fault. She tried to tell him with her eyes how much she loved him, how he had made the last six months of her life the happiest she'd ever known.

"I'm fucking bored of this. Me and this pretty little lady are getting out of here now and I won't hesitate to kill her if you try and stop me."

Bella tried to make her body as heavy as possible to somehow impede James' step but he tightened his grip so much that she cried out in pain.

"No!" shouted Edward, moving forward.

What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion, Bella was to think afterward. Her stomach, already protesting at its treatment began to seriously heave and she was struggling to stop being sick.

James' arm tightening seemed to be the last straw. As Edward moved forward to get her away from James, Bella felt the bile rise in her throat and knew she'd lost control of her body.

Without warning Bella heaved and violently threw up the contents of her stomach all over James. From his face to his shoes, he was covered in vomit.

James' first reaction was one of disgust and he reflexively let Bella go. Taking the opportunity, Bella dropped to the floor, still heaving. In that instant, Edward lunged at James and pushed him to the ground. The security guards rushed in as well as Edward struggled with James.

Unable to move, Bella watched as Edward grabbed the arm holding the knife as they wrestled for control. Then a shot rang out and James fell backward, clutching his chest, the knife clattering to the floor. Edward rolled away and raced over to take Bella in his arms.

James lay on the ground as blood seeped from the wound in his chest and spread quickly. Carlisle raced in, followed by the other ER doctors and immediately assessed the situation. He tried to stem the blood loss but he knew there was little he could do.

Edward held Bella as tightly as he could, feeling her whole body tremble. As if awakening from a nightmare, Bella burst into tears and grabbed his shirt as she sobbed painfully, the terror of the last few minutes needing release. Rocking her back and forth, he looked at his father who was still crouched over James. Carlisle looked at him and gave a slight shake of his head.

Five minutes later, James was pronounced dead from a fatal gunshot wound to the chest, just as Charlie arrived with his deputies.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: Okay, before you all panic, I PROMISE that nothing is going to happen to Bella's baby. I just couldn't do that to them. I want this baby nearly as much as Bella and Edward!**

**So, anyway, let me know what you thought of the chapter.**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Hi again. I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed, read and alerted my story.**

**Thanks to MrsKatyCullen for betaing this for me**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 27

The next few hours passed in shocked blur for Bella.

She didn't really take in anything that was happening around her. All she could do was grab onto Edward as her body shook violently in reaction. Only Edward's arms around her, his warmth, his soothing voice kept her from sinking into the blind terror of those minutes as James' hostage. She didn't register Charlie's arrival or his frantic efforts to see that she was alright. She didn't notice the orderlies arriving to take James' body down to the morgue or Victoria being led out of the room. She didn't even register that both of them were covered in blood and vomit.

Edward felt like he'd aged years in the last ten minutes. He was just finishing up with a patient when one of the nurses raced in and told him that James character had come into the hospital and that Bella had answered Victoria's alarm. With barely an apology, he'd run frantically towards Victoria's room and his heart had nearly stopped at the sight of Bella in that monster's arms, his knife at her throat. His first instinct had been to pull her away but Sid, the security guard, had held him back as James threatened Bella.

Terror was too mild a word to describe how he'd felt at the possibility of losing Bella. Images of Bella dying, killed at this monster's hand flitted through his head, and he was filled with despair. How would he carry on without the one person who gave his life meaning? How would he survive the grief of losing Bella? He would want to die too, just to be with her.

When he looked into Bella's eyes and saw the fear but also the trust and love in her eyes, it was all he could do to stop himself from begging James to let her go and offering himself in her stead. Guilt added to the terror. He'd promised to keep her safe and he hadn't kept his promise. In those few minutes he'd pleaded desperately with God, that he would do anything, anything, if she was kept safe.

While he was bargaining with God, he saw her face suddenly turn ashen. As James took a step forward, Bella suddenly threw up all over him. If Edward hadn't been so terrified, he would have laughed at the expression on James' face as he became covered in vomit. Surprise was followed almost instantaneously by disgust. When he let go of Bella and she dropped to the ground Edward saw his opportunity and lunged. Grabbing the hand holding the knife, Edward shoved James backwards. The slippery floor saw them tumbling down and Edward felt the rage surface as they wrestled for the knife. He felt a sharp pain on his upper arm but paid it no heed.

He didn't notice that Sid had followed him into the room. The next thing he knew a gunshot rang out and James' body jerked and went limp. Edward's only thought was to get to Bella. It wasn't until he had her in his arms that he looked around and saw the pool of blood next to James and it dawned on him that Sid must have shot him.

The overwhelming relief of having Bella safe in his arms was the only emotion that registered. She was gripping onto his shirt as she sobbed into his chest. He held her tightly as he gently rocked her, his hand stroking her hair and murmured words of love and comfort. He heard Carlisle come in and turned his head to see him shake his head, indicating there was nothing to be done for James. Edward knew, as a doctor, his priority was to save lives, but he just couldn't find it in him to regret James' death. He had threatened the most precious thing in his life and he had caused nothing but fear and misery to Victoria. As far as Edward was concerned, it was good riddance to bad rubbish.

He looked at Victoria, still huddled on the floor, clutching her baby to her as if he was the only thing keeping her sane. He could see her body shaking and her tear streaked face as she looked at the body of the father of her baby.

It was chaos in the room for the next while as Charlie arrived with his officers. Charlie's face turned pale as he realised that it was Bella who had been in danger. He ordered the other officers to start getting statements before kneeling down to touch Bella.

"Is she okay?" he whispered hoarsely.

"She's in shock," replied Edward. Bella didn't even look at her father, her face still buried in his chest. "I don't think he hurt her but I'm going to have her checked out as soon as I can." Edward could feel his voice shaking, grateful for the understanding look in Charlie's face.

"Is...is the baby okay?" asked Charlie.

"I...I think so. God, I hope so, for Bella's sake," he replied in a broken whisper. If she lost the baby, it would devastate her.

"Take care of my little girl, Edward," said Charlie as he stood up to get back to work.

"I'm sorry," whispered Edward, kissing Bella's hair. "I should have taken better care of her."

Charlie laid a hand on Edward's shoulder. "It's not your fault. There's only one person at fault, and he's dead. And a certain judge that I'll be having words with," said Charlie grimly.

Edward watched Charlie walk over to speak to Sid, the guard sitting on the floor, a dazed look in his eyes. Edward felt for the older man. He'd probably never even discharged his gun before and now he'd killed a man, however justified.

Sue came in, carrying a bundle in her arms. She knelt down next to them and stroked Bella's back. "How is she?"

"In shock," replied Edward.

"Poor thing. I've brought you both some scrubs to change into. You're both covered in gunk and I know you'll both feel better out of your soiled clothes."

Edward smiled gratefully at Sue. "Thanks. I appreciate it. After we change I'm going to have Bernard check her out."

While they were talking, Chris, the hospital's counsellor, came in and helped Victoria out of the room. Edward knew Carlisle would call Esme to come in. Victoria needed as much support as she could get now.

Bella had stopped crying, shudders still running through her body. Edward kissed her cheek tenderly. "Bella? Baby? It's okay, I'm here. I'm here, baby," he whispered into her ear. "I've got you, baby. I'll never let you go. I love you so much."

He felt her body relax at his words and he knew she was listening but she still didn't lift her head from his chest. "Come baby, we need to get changed. You'll feel better after a shower." She didn't resist when he lifted her off the floor, his arms still around her. She leaned heavily on him, her face in the crook of his shoulder.

He led her to one of the delivery suites, several staff worriedly enquiring if Bella was alright. Edward went straight into the bathroom and gently pried Bella off him. She whimpered and tried to burrow back into him.

"Bella, baby. Hush, my love. Let's take these clothes off and get you into the shower," he murmured soothingly.

"Don't leave me!" she whispered hoarsely, grabbing his shirt.

"Oh baby," he murmured. "I won't leave you. Ever. I couldn't if I tried. You and the baby are my world." He cupped her face tenderly and kissed her with as much love and comfort as he could muster. "Let's get in the shower."

Bella, her eyes red from crying and mirroring the ordeal she'd been through, nodded. Edward stripped their clothes off and led her into the warm water. It seemed to have soothing effect on Bella and she relaxed slightly against him as he soaped her body, wishing he could wash away the terror she'd felt. They lingered as long as possible, Bella holding on to him the whole time. It was as if she couldn't bear to be away from him even for a moment.

Dressing her in the scrubs, he led her towards Bernard's office, his arm tightly wrapped around her waist. Bernard fussed over Bella, who wouldn't let go of Edward's hand, muttering about what the world was coming to when a person couldn't be safe in a maternity ward. Edward watch worriedly as Bernard examined Bella.

"Everything looks fine but you need to go home and rest. Your blood pressure is a little high but that's no surprise. I want you to take off as much time as you need, dear. You've had a traumatic experience and you'll probably feel very tired for a few days as the adrenaline wears off." He looked at Edward. "You too, Edward. I'll cover for you if you need to stay with Bella." He looked at Edward's arm which had been cut by James' knife and put a few steri-strips on it.

Edward was beyond grateful to Bernard and wasted no time in taking Bella home. Once inside her apartment, Bella relaxed enough to finally let Edward go. Regardless, Edward helped her put on a nightgown, before helping her into bed. He sat down beside her, and tenderly stroked her cheek.

"Would you like something to eat or drink, my love?"

Bella shook her head. "No. Just lie with me, Edward. I don't want to be alone."

Edward hurriedly took off his scrubs, grabbed his phone and got into bed with her, holding her as close as possible. Bella wrapped her arms around him and they lay silently together for a long time, both trying to process the traumatic events of the day. As Bernard predicted, Bella felt bone weary and it wasn't long before she fell asleep.

Making sure his phone was on silent, Edward lay watching Bella sleep. He would stay with her as long as she needed him. He reached down and rested his hand on her stomach.

"Hey little one," he whispered. "I'm so glad you and your Mom are safe. I couldn't bear to lose either of you. Your Mom loves you so much, you know. She just wanted to protect you today. She was so brave and I'm so proud of her. You're going to be the luckiest little kid ever, with Bella as your Mom. I just hope this doesn't leave her too traumatised. I wish I could have done more. He should never have gotten to her and I don't know what I would have done if she had been hurt."

Word spread of the drama and Edward's phone began ringing with concerned callers. Alice had been the first to ring, followed by Jacob. He explained that she was shocked and traumatised but safe and the baby was safe as well. He said he'd let them know when she was up to seeing visitors but for now she needed rest and that he would be with her as long as she needed him.

He fell asleep and woke up around midnight, desperate for the bathroom and starving. He slipped out of bed and was getting himself a sandwich when he heard Bella cry out. Running into the bedroom, he saw Bella sitting up, crying and shaking as she looked for him.

"Hey, hey, baby," he crooned as he took her in his arms. "Ssh, love. It's okay, I'm here. You're safe baby," he murmured as he kissed her temple and hair. "I'm here."

Bella clung to him as if he was her lifeline. "I woke up and you were gone," she shuddered.

"Oh my love, it's okay. I was just getting something to eat, that's all," he said soothingly. He tilted her face up and kissed her gently.

Bella sighed and relaxed against him as he lay back down, holding her close. "Did you have a nightmare?"

She nodded and tightened her arms around him. In the dark, cocooned with his arms around her, she felt safe enough to talk about the day's events. "I was so scared," she mumbled.

"I know baby, I know. So was I."

"I was scared that he would hurt you, that you would do something silly trying to protect me. I couldn't...couldn't bear to...lose...you," she whispered brokenly.

"I was terrified for you, baby. I would want to die if something happened to you. When I saw that knife against your neck..." his voice trailed off as the awful images played in his head.

"Is he...?"

"Yes, baby, he's dead. He can't ever hurt you or Victoria again." He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed each finger.

"How is Victoria?"

"She's physically fine. Esme took her home because she couldn't stand being in the hospital any longer. Hopefully she'll recover from all this."

Bella nodded. "I was also afraid he would do something that could make me lose the baby."

Edward looked into her eyes wanting her to see the truth in his. "Bella, you were my main concern. You know I love him or her, but I love you most of all. As much as it would hurt to lose it, it would kill me to lose you, baby," he whispered against her lips. He could see the tears in her eyes, his own moist. "Don't ever leave me Bella."

"Never. I could never leave you," she replied, kissing him deeply. As the kiss continued, it seemed that they poured every emotion they had felt that day into it. Bella tightened her arms around his neck and plastered her body against his. Needing to breath, she pulled back. "Make love to me, Edward."

"Are you sure?" he asked, his body instantly responding to her request.

"Please Edward. I need you. I just want to forget." She needed the closeness to know that they were truly safe and alive. She wanted to hear his heartbeat, feel his breath on her skin, his warmth, his love.

Edward could never deny her anything, especially this. He needed it too. He wanted to erase the vision of Bella being held hostage and replace it with her face as she came apart under him, her eyes loving him, her body worshipping him as he worshipped hers.

As if a switch was flicked, they came together, their movements laced with desperation. Edward needed to touch her everywhere, to prove to himself that no part of her was unharmed. Bella kissed Edward's chest, listening to his racing heartbeat and breathing and felt a calmness deep inside.

As Edward entered her, they breathed a sigh of relief into each other's mouths as they looked deeply into each other's eyes. As their movements increased in pace, their love making became an affirmation of life, comfort and their unending love for each other.

Bella cried out as her orgasm washed over her. "Edward! Oh god, Edward, I love you."

Following her, Edward groaned out. "Love you, love you, love…" as he came apart.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Bella stayed home for the next two days as a precaution, Edward staying with her. She woke a couple of times during the night from nightmares and he had to hold her tightly as her fear subsided.

The next morning Charlie came over, to check on his daughter but also to take their statements. Edward asked if Sid, the guard was likely to face any consequences as a result of shooting James.

"No, I'm not pressing charges. It's quite clear that he felt he had no option and there are enough witnesses to back up his story that he was trying to save you from being stabbed."

Edward was relieved to hear that. He'd feel awful if Sid had faced prosecution for trying to help him.

Both Alice and Jacob came over the assure themselves that they were alright. Both were of the opinion that it was good riddance to the evil monster and that no-one would mourn James' passing.

After the events at the hospital, it became clear that Bella wouldn't be able to hide her pregnancy any longer when she returned to work. As she was approaching twelve weeks, Bella confirmed everyone's suspicions and she and Edward had to spend the next few days receiving everyone's congratulations. For Bella, it was a relief to have it out in the open both because it meant that she was past the danger period and also because she could now revel in the knowledge that she was expecting a baby. The fact that her morning sickness seemed to have gone was a plus as well, although her bout of well-timed morning sickness had helped save her from James.

Unfortunately, she still suffered from nightmares although they were lessening in frequency. The worst times were on the odd occasion when Edward was called in to work during the night and she woke up sweating and shaking, all alone in bed. The first time it had taken a couple of hours before she was able to go back to sleep and as soon as Edward returned home, she had burrowed into him, her body instantly relaxing. Now, nearly four weeks later, she was only having the odd nightmare.

Victoria seemed to have weathered the storm surprisingly well. Other than a normal bout of the blues, she hadn't seemed to have suffered much trauma from watching the man who had fathered her child die in front of her.

"He did nothing but hurt me and he would have hurt Robbie if I had stayed with him. Maybe if I hadn't spent these last weeks with Esme and Carlisle I might have grieved for him, or at least regretted his death because I knew no better. But I see the way Esme and Carlisle are together, the way Alice and Jasper are and the way you two are together and I know that what I had with James was ghastly, a joke, a nightmare. I didn't know how a relationship should be until I lived here and that's I want in future. I don't think I'll accept anything else, for my sake but more importantly, for Robbie's sake. I'd rather spend the rest of my life alone than settle for someone who won't treat me the way Carlisle treats Esme."

Bella could see the way Victoria had flowered before her eyes since she had left James. And since she had Robbie, she was calm, happy, the fear of James erased from her eyes. She doted on her baby; he was the centre of her world.

Amidst all this, Bella had a wedding to prepare for. When she felt up to it, Alice had driven them down to Seattle to look at wedding dresses. Bella definitely didn't enjoy it as much as Alice did although she insisted they have lots of breaks. Alice was only a couple of months away from giving birth and she had to be feeling the strain.

Bella lost count of the number of wedding dress stores they had looked in by lunchtime and both of them were more than ready to rest their feet for an hour or so.

"There's just too much choice," complained Bella as she tucked into a bowl of ravioli with gusto. "How is a person supposed to pick one dress out of the thousands to choose from. I see one I love then the next instant, I'll see another."

"God, I know," agreed Alice. "But I believe that when you see 'the dress' you'll know it instantly and nothing else will compare."

"I hope so. We don't have that much time to get a dress made."

"Well, at least we're narrowing down to the type of style. You definitely don't want figure hugging."

"No," laughed Bella. "Even if I wasn't pregnant I wouldn't have the confidence to carry that off."

"And no flounces."

"Or frills."

"Or anything vaguely meringue-like."

"Ughh! Definitely no meringues!" laughed Bella.

"What's left?" joked Alice.

"You know me. I'm a simple person at heart. I want something simple but elegant, something classic. I don't want to hide any baby bump but I also don't want something that will accentuate it. I don't want people to spend the whole day looking at my stomach."

"We'll find it, Bella. At least the rest of the organising is going well. The invitations are ready to be sent out and we just need to decide on the flowers for the bouquet. The guys' suits are being made so we just need our dresses and shoes. I've booked the hair and make-up for the day. They're going to do Mom's and Renee's hair and makeup as well. It'll be lovely. I can't wait."

"You've been the best friend anyone could have, Alice," said Bella, taking Alice's hand in hers.

"I love you and I love my brother. I'm so happy you're going to be my sister," replied Alice, a little teary.

"Me too."

"Look at us," giggled Alice. "Two pregnant biddies getting all emotional. Come on, let's find that dress."

An hour later, Bella found 'the dress'. It was just what she was looking for. It had clean, elegant lines, the design a classic, scoop-necked sheath shape, the beading and lace around the bodice lifting it from the ordinary. The tiny, lace cap sleeves echoed the lace in the bodice. The silk/satin underskirt hung straight down from the bodice in a subtle a-line shape. Over the underskirt was a layer of chiffon that was split down the middle, allowing the underskirt to show as the bride walked. The chiffon continued into a small train that could be hooked up to allow dancing.

"It's perfect," breathed Bella as she tried it on. The design allowed for her stomach to grow without having to have it altered. "I love it. This is it, Alice. This is the one."

Alice walked around her nodding. "Yeah, I agree. It suits you beautifully. I love the tiny crystals on the bodice. Gives it a touch of glamour."

The store's modiste suggested alterations while taking Bella's measurements. Bella explained about her pregnancy as she pinned it up. Bella asked if there were any bridesmaid's dresses that were in a similar style.

"This design can be altered to suit a bridesmaid's dress with little problem," explained the modiste. After some deliberation, Bella decided Alice's dress would be the same design as hers, only knee length and without the cap sleeves. It would be altered to allow for Alice's stomach and she wanted it in a lustrous navy blue. Alice promised the modiste a bonus if both dresses could be ready two weeks before the wedding. Promising it would done, they left the shop beaming.

"It's such a relief to have chosen the dresses," sighed Bella. She had decided that she didn't want to wear a veil, instead choosing to wear a headband made of the same lace and chiffon as the dress. They'd toyed with putting her hair up or leaving it down but Bella knew Edward loved her hair down. The headband would give it a 'bridal' touch.

Bella and Alice decided to leave the hunt for shoes for another day. They were both exhausted. Happy but exhausted. They got in Alice's car and started the long journey home to Forks.

Edward was home when Bella let herself in and threw herself down onto his lap.

"Hey baby," he smiled as they pulled apart from their welcome back kiss. "Good day?"

"Yeah, but I'm absolutely shattered. You guys are so lucky that suits basically all look the same," she replied, leaning her head on his shoulder.

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "So, did you choose a dress?"

"Yes, and Alice's dress too."

"What's it like?"

"As if I'm going to tell you," she scoffed. "You don't get to see it until the wedding day."

"Aw! Give me a hint."

"It's a dress and it's white," she told him, tongue-in-cheek.

"Cheeky! Fine I'll wait until then unless I can worm it out of Alice."

"Yeah, good luck with that!" laughed Bella. She let out a big yawn.

"Here, rest on the couch while I get dinner ready then I'll run you a bath before bed," he suggested, kissing her cheek.

"Okay," she replied sleepily.

When Edward walked back in the room to check on her, she was fast asleep.

o-o-o-o-o-o

The next few weeks leading up the wedding seemed to fly by.

Alice's blood pressure was slightly raised at her check up and Edward ordered her to slow down.

"You've seen what can happen, Alice, so don't be stupid about it," warned Edward.

"Yes Alice. You need to rest more. We've got the wedding preparations under control and I can easily deal with anything that comes up," agreed Bella.

"Alright, don't nag you two," grumbled Alice. "I'm not going be silly. I can do a lot of stuff on the phone, anyway."

"I want you to come in next week and we'll take your blood pressure again," said Edward. "I just want to make sure you and your baby are alright."

"I know, Edward."

Bella was in her second trimester now and was feeling fantastic. To Edward's delight, she now had a slight baby bump, which was only visible when she was naked. He loved to run his hands over it, making comments to the baby which made Bella giggle.

"Edward! Don't say that! You'll scar him or her for life!" laughed Bella at a particularly suggestive comment he made while stroking her skin.

"He or she might as well get used to the sight of Mom and Dad doing lots of kissing and cuddling from an early age," he smiled. "He or she needs to know that Daddy can't get enough of Mommy."

"Well, there are some things that Mommy and Daddy need to keep behind closed doors," she admonished him with a smile.

"Like this, for instance," he murmured against her, smiling at her swift intake of breath as he licked a particularly sensitive spot.

"Yes...just like that," she replied on a breathless moan.

o-o-o-o-o-o

There was just a week to go to the wedding and Bella was beginning to feel the nerves start making their presence felt. She wasn't nervous about marrying Edward, not at all; rather it was about being the centre of everyone's attention. She was basically a reserved person and drawing attention to herself was not something she enjoyed. She had nightmares about tripping over as she walked down the aisle, making a complete spectacle of herself.

When she'd confided these fears to Edward, he'd simply grinned and held her tight. "It's only one day, baby. And if you fall, I'll just pick you up again." He'd kissed her and helped calm her fears.

As promised, the dresses were completed in record time and the modiste had even travelled to Forks for the final fitting. Alice had gasped as she saw Bella in the dress. "You look so beautiful, Bella," she said in awe. "Edward is just going to die when he sees you."

"God, I hope not!" retorted Bella with a laugh. "I need my groom healthy on my wedding day. And wedding night!" she said cheekily.

Alice burst into giggles. "Ahh, second trimester..." she said with a smile, giving Bella a knowing look. "Enjoy. Jasper and I are severely hampered in our choice of positions at the moment, when I'm not too exhausted, that is."

"Not too long now, Alice."

"I know," she replied, rubbing her swollen belly. "I'm looking forward to it more and more each day. Junior is making me very uncomfortable, not to mention making me run to the bathroom every five minutes."

Alice was keeping the dresses at her house figuring it would be too much temptation for Edward to not take a peek if they were at Bella's place. They had found shoes to go with the dresses. As they were both pregnant, they had chosen conservative heels, Alice bemoaning the fact that her back couldn't take the extra strain of wearing her favourite stilettos.

In the intervening weeks, Bella and Edward had chosen wedding rings together. Bella had chosen gorgeous rose gold rings, to complement her engagement ring. She'd had the rings engraved with the words 'Forever' as well as the date and couldn't resist looking at them, her heart skipping a beat every time. She would never have dreamed a year ago that she would be preparing for her wedding to the man of her dreams and expecting a baby made from their love.

Renee and Phil arrived in Forks six days before the wedding, Edward and Jasper picking them up from Seattle as Bella and Alice had appointments with the caterers and wedding planner. Charlie had offered to put them up, but even Renee felt that would be a bit too weird and had opted to stay at a pretty bed and breakfast nearby.

"Phil and I are going to treat it as a second honeymoon," explained Renee when Bella asked if she was really alright with it. "I'm going to show him around and we'll have a grand time."

Bella was relieved at that because Charlie had told her that Kara was coming down from Canada and was attending the wedding as his date. Bella was certain that she would be staying with Charlie. She could just imagine the vibes if the divorced parents of the bride stayed in the same house with their new partners. Awkward wouldn't even begin to describe it.

"Bella! Baby!" cried Renee, engulfing her in a hug as she arrived at Bella's apartment, trailed by Phil, Edward and a slightly stunned-looking Jasper. Obviously Renee had made her usual impression, thought Bella with a smile.

"Mom! It's so good to see you!" cried Bella, tears springing to her eyes. She really missed having her mother around, especially now during her pregnancy.

Stepping back, Renee took in Bella's subtly changed appearance, noting the larger breasts, glowing skin and slightly rounded stomach. "You look radiant, baby," breathed Renee, crushing her in another hug. "Simply beautiful."

"Let me introduce you to Alice, Edward's sister and bridesmaid extraordinaire." Taking hold of Alice's hand, she pulled her forward. "Alice has been my rock. She's been the most amazing friend and the best future sister-in-law ever. I couldn't have done any of this without her," praised Bella.

Renee engulfed Alice in another bear hug before they began talking a dime a dozen. Kindred spirits, thought Bella with a smile.

The following night they had dinner at Carlisle and Esme's house so that Renee and Esme could meet. Charlie came alone since Kara wasn't arriving until a couple of days before the wedding. Esme had asked if Jacob would like to come along, but when Bella asked him, he told her he'd be in Seattle that night. He had an appointment with his bank to secure financing to expand his business, which was doing so well he needed to take on another mechanic. As the meeting was late in the afternoon, he'd opted to stay overnight.

The dinner was a huge success, with Esme and Renee getting on famously. Bella had found them cooing over baby photos of Edward as Renee told her about Bella as a baby, promising to email her some photos when she returned to Florida. When they'd started gushing over who her baby would look like, she'd left them to it.

Renee told everyone who would listen that she was the one who had first told Bella she was pregnant, as if she was the one responsible for the whole thing. Since it was true, Bella had to agree and give Renee credit for noticing what she hadn't.

Instead of a hen's night, seeing as neither Bella nor Alice could drink anyway, the women had chosen to go to a day spa and be pampered instead. Carlisle had offered to babysit Robbie so that Victoria could go too. There were plenty of giggles and blushes all around as the conversations turned risqué, as per usual when women get together. Bella lost count of the number of pieces of 'advice' she received, many so naughty she blushed as she told a laughing Edward later that night.

The guys were going into Port Angeles to a popular sports bar for dinner and drinks. Charlie had organised transport back to Fork. Bella couldn't help laughing as she learned he'd meant the back of police wagon.

Two days before the wedding, the maternity staff gave Bella a huge bouquet of flowers along with a card signed by everyone, wishing her and Edward the best for their nuptials and life together. Bella couldn't stop the tears as they presented her and Edward with a beautiful Swarovski crystal fruit bowl the staff had all chipped in for. It was her last day before the wedding and she went around and thanked everyone for their good wishes. There were a few, like Sue and Bernard, who were invited to the wedding; the others made her promise she would bring in photos when she returned.

"Baby, do you have any appointments today?" asked Edward as they ate breakfast the day before their wedding.

"No, thank goodness. Mom's coming over later but that's all. Everything else is done," replied Bella. "Why?"

"I want to show you something."

"What is it?"

"It's a surprise," said Edward cryptically. "We'll go as soon as you're ready."

Intrigued, Bella quickly finished her breakfast and got dressed. She wondered if it had anything to do with her wedding present. She had bought Edward a beautiful dress watch with her name engraved on it. When the baby was born, she would add its name to hers. She planned to give it to him tomorrow morning.

Bucking tradition, she was not spending the night away from Edward. She needed him close in order to sleep properly. Instead, he would be heading to his parent's house in the morning while Bella went to Alice's to prepare.

In the car, Edward took Bella's hand in his. "One more day, baby, and you're mine forever," he murmured, lifting her hand to his lips.

Bella looked at him adoringly. "I know. I can't wait to marry you. I love you so much."

He smiled and traced his finger down her cheek. "I adore you."

When she could speak, she asked him where they were going. Just outside of town, he turned off the road onto a small, unsealed road that took them through a thick stand of forest.

"Nearly there, baby. I'll explain when we get there."

A minute later, Edward drove into a clearing that had Bella gasping in pleasure. A large, flower-filled clearing was surrounded by trees on three sides, including the one they'd driven in from. On the far side, Bella could see a large stream running through the gently sloping land, hills and mountains in the distance. It was gorgeous.

"What is this place, Edward? It's gorgeous."

Edward helped her out of the car and led her out into the clearing. He stopped and pulled her in front of him, his arms wrapping around her, resting on her slightly rounded belly, his thumb unconsciously stroking her. He rested his chin on her shoulder as they took in the scenery before them.

"Like it?" he asked softly.

"Of course, it's beautiful. Why did you bring me here?"

"Could you see yourself living here?"

"Living here?" Bella turned her head, their breaths mingling. "What do you mean?"

"What I said. Could you see yourself living in our house, with our child, surrounded by all this?"

Bella looked around, her heart racing with excitement. "Yes."

"Then it's yours, baby."

Bella turned in his arms and looked at him, a puzzled look on her face. "Edward, tell me what's going on."

Edward smiled down at her before kissing her softly. "I bought this property for us. To build our home on. To raise our child or children if we're so blessed. It's my wedding present to you."

Bella wrapped her arms around him as she burst into tears, kissing him at the same time. "Oh Edward, it's perfect! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Edward laughed and spun her around. "I love you more than life itself, Bella. Nothing is ever too much for you. You've made me so happy. You and our baby."

"I couldn't imagine being without you, Edward. You're my life."

"As you are mine," replied Edward.

Their kiss soon turned passionate and they lost themselves in each other as they made love out in the open, the sun shining on their backs and surrounded by stunning scenery in the place where they would raise their family and grow old together.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: I've put a link in my profile page of Bella's wedding dress if you're interested. Next chapter - the wedding.**

**Review and let me know what you think.**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews and to those who've put BOTM on alert. I'm really grateful for your support.**

**Here it is, the moment you've been waiting for - the wedding. I hope I do it justice.**

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Chapter 28

A soft kiss roused Bella from her sleep. Opening one eye, she looked up to see Edward grinning down at her, his green eyes sparkling with excitement. She gave him a sleepy smile as he leaned down and deepened the kiss for a few moments before pulling back.

"Good morning, sleepy head," he murmured. "Guess what day it is?"

"Um, is it your birthday?" she teased gently.

Edward shook his head with a grin.

"My birthday?"

He gave a mock growl and leaned down to tickle her neck with his tongue, making her squeal as his hands began tickling her waist. She laughed out loud as she tried to wriggle away. "Okay, okay! I give up! It's our wedding day!"

Edward stopped his tickling and smiled down at her. "Tease. Happy wedding day, my love."

Bella reached up and pulled him down to her, kissing him deeply. "Happy wedding day, Edward."

With gratifying reluctance Edward sat up, pulling her with him as he leaned back against the headboard, enfolding her in his arms. He wanted to take this opportunity for some calm before the madness started. Alice would be here soon to whisk Bella away and he wouldn't see her again until she walked up the aisle towards him. He felt his heart thump with excitement at the thought. Bella would become his wife today! Finally, the woman of his dreams would be his.

"I want to give you my wedding present before Alice gets here," said Bella. Getting out of bed, she reached inside her underwear drawer and pulled out her gift, wrapped in a white bow. She climbed onto his lap, straddling his legs as she handed him the gift. Edward gave her another kiss as he took the parcel. Eagerly opening it, he smiled widely as he took out the watch.

"It's engraved," she told him as he turned it around to see her name.

"It's beautiful, my love. Thank you. I love it and I'll treasure it always," he said softly.

"When the baby's born, I'll put his or her name on it too." Bella helped him put the watch on and they both admired it on his wrist.

Edward gently cupped her face in his hands and pulled her towards him. He gave her a long, leisurely, sensual kiss that had them both breathing heavily when they pulled apart. "God, I love you. I can't wait until tonight, when we're alone and we can stay in bed all day if we want."

"Mmm, me too," agreed Bella. She looked at the time and gave a soft sigh. "I'd better get dressed. Alice will be here soon and I need to have something to eat. My nerves probably won't let me eat later."

"I'm ringing Mom to make sure both you and Alice eat something today. I don't want my bride fainting from hunger," he warned gently. His bride. God, he loved those words.

"Don't nag," said Bella. "I'll have Mom, Esme and Alice watching everything I do. I don't need you getting all overprotective as well." She gave him another peck and moved to get off him.

"Wait. I have something for you," said Edward, reaching into his bedside drawer and pulling out a small jeweller's box.

"Edward! Isn't buying us a beautiful property enough of a wedding present?" admonished Bella as he put the box in her hands.

"I like giving you things," he replied. "It's just a little something for you to wear today. Think of it as your 'something new'."

Shaking her head at him, she opened the box and gasped at the beautiful diamond bracelet inside. "Edward, it's gorgeous! You really shouldn't have."

Ignoring her words, he took out the bracelet and put it on her wrist. It had three strands of diamonds which shone brightly in the sunlight, the multicoloured streaks of light almost blinding.

"Perfect," he smiled.

Bella smiled and kissed him passionately one last time. "Thank you. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm never letting you go."

"That's a promise I'm holding you to," he replied, his green eyes shining with love.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"How are the nerves?" asked Alice as they sat having their manicures and pedicures. With her shop in the heart of Port Angeles, Alice was well acquainted with the manicurist who owned the shop a few doors down as well as the hairdresser and makeup stylist.

"Well, the butterflies are getting stronger as the hours pass," admitted Bella.

"That's normal," said Alice. "Wait until you get to Mom's house and you're getting ready to walk down the aisle. The butterflies will feel like they're disco dancing in there."

"Not helping, Alice," groaned Bella.

Esme, Renee and Victoria turned up shortly after to have their hair and makeup done. Victoria had brought little Robbie with her and Renee had been cuddling him for ages. None of them had seen the dress yet.

Bella wondered how Edward was coping. Was he as nervous as her? She couldn't wait to see him. She rubbed her hand over her stomach, the movement soothing her.

Through his work contacts, Jacob had managed to secure a beautiful classic red Mustang to transport her and Alice to Esme's house. His friend Embry was going to be their chauffeur for the afternoon. The wedding was scheduled to take place at 3pm and the minutes were ticking away both too fast and too slow for Bella's liking.

"What a gorgeous day it's turned out to be!" exclaimed Renee as she came back inside from inspecting Alice's garden.

"So, is it bedlam at home, Mom?" asked Alice.

"No, it's organised chaos actually," laughed Esme. "The caterer's arrived on time while there's been hustle and bustle all morning as the decorations have been put up and everything readied. I gave the boys orders not to interfere with anything, or they'll be answering to me." Esme grinned at Bella. "They were actually watching a football game replay when I left."

"God, guys have it so easy," complained Alice. "Five minutes before the ceremony they'll decide to get dressed. We have to prepare for hours."

"True," agreed Renee. "But no-one goes to look at the groom. All eyes are on the lovely bride."

Bella groaned softly. "Thanks for reminding me! I've been trying to get that thought out of my head."

"You'll be fine, baby," replied Renee. "You'll be beautiful."

The hours passed as the preparations continued. The others had been stunned when Bella told them of Edward's wedding gift of a property to build a home on. Bella looked at Esme who had a slight guilty look on her face. "Did you know about it, Esme?"

Esme gave a guilty nod. "I must admit I did. Edward asked me to help him look for a suitable property. Through my contacts with the charities I work with, I know a few estate agents and passed on Edward's requirements. We looked at few properties but as soon as Edward saw that one, he knew it was the one for you."

"He's right. It's the most beautiful piece of land," sighed Bella. "It will be a wonderful place to bring up our baby. I can't wait to start planning the house. I wish we had super powers and we could build it at super speed."

"Unfortunately, it'll have to be built at normal, human speed," remarked Alice.

The makeup and hair stylists arrived and one by one they all got glammed up. Bella was the last one and naturally, they took longer on her hair and makeup. Alice refused to let Bella look at herself until she put her dress on. She wanted Bella to get the full effect when she first saw herself.

When it became time to get dressed, the butterflies felt like they became galloping horses in Bella's stomach. Alice came in already dressed, ready to help Bella dress.

"You look lovely Alice," commented Bella. Alice had chosen to wear her hair in a loose chignon. The dress fitted her perfectly, her rounded stomach encased in the navy material.

"Thank you. Let's get this dress on you and I can guarantee Edward's eyes will pop out of his head when he sees you."

Carefully, they eased the beautiful dress onto Bella, Alice checking everything was in place and did up the hidden zipper. Putting her shoes on, she turned to Alice. "Okay?"

Alice stood there, her hands clasped in front of her. "God, Bella. You look just…beautiful. It's time you saw yourself now." Leading Bella to her dressing room, she turned her to face the mirror.

Once again, Bella was in awe of her own transformation. Her hair fell in large, loose waves down her back, the hair band the only adornment. Her brown eyes looked huge and the makeup was flawless. The dress fit like a dream, falling to the floor in a soft cloud of chiffon. Her baby bump was visible but not the focus of attention.

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow," agreed Alice. "I may have to tell Jasper to hold Edward back when he sees you. We all know he doesn't have much restraint when it comes to you." Both of them giggled in agreement.

"Can we come in now?"

"Sure," called out Alice. The women all came into the room and stopped short when they caught sight of Bella.

Renee burst into tears. "Oh my god! My baby girl's so beautiful. I can't believe how beautiful you are!" She took Bella's hands and squeezed them. "I'd hug you but I don't want to crease the dress."

"Thanks Mom."

"All I ever wanted for you was to be happy," continued Renee. "And you're absolutely radiant today. All my hopes have been answered. You've found a wonderful man, who loves you as you deserve to be loved and you're going to make me a grandma. I couldn't wish for more."

Bella sniffed and tried desperately to stop herself crying. Not caring about a crease or two, she hugged her mother tightly. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, baby girl."

"Renee, you have to stop crying or your makeup will be ruined," warned Alice, who's eyes were suspiciously moist as well.

Pulling herself together, Bella accepted the compliments of Victoria and Esme. Now that she was dressed, she wanted to begin the ceremony. She wanted to see Edward.

"Here, Bella," said Alice, holding out a blue, lacy garter. "You need something blue." Renee took the garter and helped Bella put it on. Bending down was somewhat difficult for Alice at the moment.

Renee then took out a velvet bag from her purse. "These were your grandmother's and she passed them on to me. Eventually they'll be yours but for now they can be your 'something old' and 'something borrowed'." She pulled out a pair of pear-shaped, diamond drop earrings. "They'll go beautifully with the bracelet Edward gave you."

Bella had always loved these earrings and as a child, had begged her mother to let her put them on. Renee would only let her put them on for a few minutes at a time and always in her sight. The earrings were her most precious memory of her mother. She hoped they would be passed down through the family for many generations. "Thanks Mom. You know I'll take good care of them."

Renee nodded, her eyes filled with emotion.

"Hey, where is everyone?" called out Charlie.

"In here," replied Alice.

Charlie bounded into the room and stopped abruptly at the sight of Bella. "Um…ah…wow, Bels. You look…" he shook his head in amazement.

Renee put her arm through his and grinned at him. "Doesn't our baby girl look like the most beautiful bride ever?"

Charlie nodded mutely.

"Thanks Dad. You look rather handsome yourself," smiled Bella. Charlie looked extremely debonair in his black tux.

Pulling himself together, Charlie told Esme that Carlisle was here to collect them. "Embry's on his way, Bels."

"Where's Kara?" Bella and Edward had had dinner with Charlie the night Kara arrived and she found her charming. She could see her father light up when he looked at her.

"Jacob's taking her to the house and meeting me there."

Esme, Renee and Victoria left to go back to the house just as Embry was pulling up to Alice's door. The car had been decorated with the traditional white ribbon.

"Ready to go, Bels?" asked Charlie, holding out his elbow.

Bella took a deep breath, accepted the bridal bouquet from Alice and stepped forward. "Ready Dad. Let's do this."

o-o-o-o-o-o

Edward pulled on the cuffs on his tuxedo for what seemed like the millionth time today. His incessant pacing was driving Jasper nuts

"Relax, Edward," he pleaded. "She'll be here soon."

"I know, I know. God, why am I so nervous?"

"It's normal. As soon as you see her, you'll be fine."

"God, I can't wait to see her. She'll be so beautiful, I know it." He looked at Jasper who was reading the newspaper while they sat in the sitting room. "Were you nervous?"

Jasper put down the paper and grinned at Edward. "I was ready to beg for a valium, I was so nervous. I don't know why. I loved Alice with everything in me but there's something about the thought of the ceremony..."

"Yeah. Maybe it's a guy thing," pondered Edward. He looked at his watch and saw the minute hand had only crawled another couple of spaces. Damn, why was the time going so slowly? He ran his fingers over the watch Bella had given him this morning and it made him feel slightly better.

He'd been watching the organised chaos that had been his parent's house all morning. People had been traipsing in and out all day, setting things up. Just to have something to do, he'd gone down to check out the preparations and had been roundly told off by Esme for getting in people's way. Deciding it was safer to head back to the house he'd watched from a distance.

The marquee had been set up the day before and was now filled with tables and chairs, decorated in cream and navy. There were ribbons of cream and navy hanging off the chairs and along the marquee roof while the tables glittered with polished silverware and crystal glasses. Flowers abounded everywhere. The caterers were frantically busy in Esme's kitchen, preparing the feast.

On the other side of the large garden, chairs had been set up within Esme's flower garden where the actual ceremony was going to take place. There were only about forty guests, so the whole thing would have an intimate feel. There were pedestals full of flowers set in a semi-circle where they would say their vows.

Edward heard the first guests arrive so he and Jasper went out to greet them. For the next ten minutes or so, he chatted with the arrivals until he saw his father arrive back with the women.

"Don't you three look gorgeous?" said Jasper, his charm coming to the fore.

"You're such a charmer," gushed Renee with a laugh. "If I were only twenty years younger and we both weren't married..." They all had a chuckle at Jasper's beet-red face.

"Bella will be here shortly," said Esme, looking around. "Oh good, Pastor White's here," she said as she walked off to greet the man who would officiate the wedding.

In no time at all, the wedding planner urged everyone to start taking their seats as the ceremony was about to commence.

Edward and Jasper stood at the front checking their suits. "Is everything in place?" asked Edward nervously.

"For the thousandth time, yes. You look fine," chuckled Jasper.

The organist started playing and Edward could see the guests getting more excited as the hour approached. Suddenly, the music changed to the universally known 'Wedding March' and Edward took a deep breath as he prepared for his first sight of his adored bride.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"Ready?" asked Charlie as they stood together waiting for the signal to go.

"I don't think I've ever been so ready for anything, Dad."

Charlie leaned over and kissed Bella's cheek. "I love you, Bels."

"I love you too, Dad. You've been the best," she smiled back, her eyes watery.

"Be happy."

"I am Dad. I am."

The music started and Alice was the first to go. They were standing behind a curtain of greenery which shielded them from everyone's gaze until they stepped around it. Gripping tightly onto Charlie's arm, she stepped forward.

Edward watched his sister walk up the carpet that served as an aisle, grinning at her. Alice smiled back before blowing her husband a cheeky kiss. Edward heard Jasper give a low chuckle beside him but was too intent on getting his first glimpse of Bella.

And what he saw literally took his breath away! An angel, his angel, was walking towards him and he couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Bella was so utterly, heartbreakingly beautiful as she walked towards him, holding onto her father's arm. Their eyes met and it was just the two of them, everyone and everything fading into the background. The love shining from each other's eyes was palpable. Edward took a step forward, just wanting to touch her, sweep her into his arms but Jasper put a restraining hand on him.

"Patience, Edward," he murmured with a grin.

"She's so beautiful," replied Edward in complete awe.

Bella smiled tenderly at him as she walked towards him at what seemed an agonisingly slow pace. Finally, Edward couldn't wait any longer and took a few steps forwards and met her a few feet away. He took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly, neither of them aware of the sighs of most of the female guests at this overt display of devotion.

The sound of Charlie clearing his throat noisily brought them back to earth. Edward gave Charlie a sheepish grin. "Sorry." Bella giggled at the look on Charlie's face. She turned to her father as he gave her a kiss on the cheek and surrendered her hand to Edward. Clasping her hand tightly, he led her towards the waiting Pastor, ignoring the knowing looks of Alice and Jasper. Bella handed her bouquet to Alice then stood facing Edward, her hands engulfed in his.

Edward's eyes were a brilliant green, his adoration for her plain to see. Bella couldn't keep from tearing up as she saw how much this meant to him. One of his hands left hers and gently rubbed her softly rounded stomach, telling her wordlessly how much he loved both of them.

Pastor White gently got their attention so that the ceremony could commence. Bella could hardly believe it was finally here; she was marrying Edward. Their words shook from the emotion of the moment. The ceremony was traditional other than their vows, which they had chosen to write themselves. Edward was the first to speak his.

Edward took a deep breath to settle himself, his emotions threatening to run away with him. "Bella, my love, my life. I never dreamed I would meet someone who would become the most important thing in my life. You burst into my life and I've never been the same. You've brought me utter joy, love, passion, friendship and I never want to be without you. You've given me the greatest gift a man could receive. You're carrying my baby within you and I'm utterly humbled at your selfless gift. There aren't enough words to express the depths of my love and devotion, but I promise to spend every day trying to be worthy of you and your love. I'll love you forever, my beloved Bella."

Bella couldn't stop the tears falling as she listened to Edward's heartfelt words. Her heart was threatening to burst with love for him. Edward tenderly wiped her tears away with his fingers, smiling gently. Giving him a wobbly smile, Bella prepared to say her vows.

"I don't know what I did to deserve someone like you in my life, but I promise I'm going to thank heaven every day for you. You have loved me, cherished me, looked after me; been my friend, lover, confidante and I love you with every fibre of my being. Our love created the miracle of our child, proof that nothing is impossible when two people love each other the way we do. I can't wait to spend my life with you, raising our child, growing old together. You are my life Edward, now and forever."

Pastor White waited a few moments before continuing. There were sniffling sounds from several of the female guests. Jasper handed over the rings when requested.

"I, Edward Anthony Cullen, take you, Isabella, as my lawfully wedded wife. Please accept this ring as a symbol of my eternal love and devotion," he said as he placed the ring on her finger.

"I, Isabella Marie Swan, take you, Edward, as my lawfully wedded husband. Please accept this ring as a symbol of my eternal love and devotion."

Edward gripped her hand after she had placed the ring on his finger, both of them with tears in their eyes. They belonged to each other now for the rest of their lives.

"...I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," announced Pastor White with a flourish.

Not needing a second invitation, Edward took Bella in his arms and kissed her. Bella wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she returned the kiss with equal passion. Once again, everything faded away as they became lost in each other, unable to contain their joy. Only the humorous wolf-whistles from some of the males penetrated their love-filled haze.

"Guys, get a room!" called out Jacob, earning himself several guffaws.

"Shut up, Jake," replied Bella, blushing deeply. Edward hugged her as he laughed.

After that, it was hugs and congratulations all around, photos taken and then the guests were ushered towards the marquee for the reception. After the dinner, Edward got Bella up to dance the traditional first dance. They wrapped their arms around each other as the first strains of 'All of You' began.

_I've never this feeling before  
I've never wanted anyone more  
And something in your eyes tells me  
You feel the way that I do (I feel like you do)  
If you would like to stay here all night  
You know that I would say it's alright  
Though I'm saying yes, I confess  
I've got more on my mind  
'Cause I want more of you than your time_

"You take my breath away, my beautiful wife," murmured Edward, lifting her hand and kissing her wedding band.

"I lost mine the instant I saw you, my gorgeous husband," replied Bella huskily.

_All of you, your body and soul  
Every kind of love you can express  
All the secret dreams you've never told  
I want everything, and I'll take nothing less  
All of you as long as you live  
Everything you've never shared before  
I want all of you that you can give  
All your joys and all your sorrows  
Your today's and your tomorrow's_

Bella buried her face under Edward's chin, breathing in his delicious scent. _Mine. He's all mine_, she thought. _I'll never let him go_.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair, his hand delicately caressing her back as they swayed to the music.

_How I long to feel the warmth of your touch  
And then if I'm not asking too much  
I'd like to spend my life wandering through  
All the wonders of you  
And when we're lying close in the dark  
So close I feel each beat of your heart  
I want you to reveal what you feel  
All you hold deep inside  
There is nothing I want you to hide_

"I love you too," she replied.

"Happy?"

Bella nodded. "Ecstatic."

"You're mine now. Both of you."

_All of you, your body and soul  
Everything you want this love to be  
I want all of you, all that you can give  
And in return for all your giving  
Let me give you, all of me_

Neither of them had noticed that the others had gotten up to dance until Charlie cut in for a dance with his daughter.

"You've got her for the rest of her life. One dance with her old man isn't too much to ask," said Charlie wryly

With visible reluctance, Edward let her go as he was required to dance with other people, Esme first of all. After several dances, Bella pleaded for a break as she sat down with Jacob. Edward was dancing with Victoria and Bella couldn't help admiring his long, lean figure in the tuxedo. She couldn't wait to strip it off him later. Nothing was more stunning than a naked Edward.

"Who is Edward dancing with?" asked Jacob, cutting into her lascivious thoughts.

"That's Victoria," she replied looking at him. She was surprised to see him gazing at Victoria with a strange look on his face. "She's living with Carlisle and Esme and her baby, Robbie. I mentioned her, remember?"

"_That_ Victoria?" Bella nodded. "You didn't tell me she was so beautiful," he said.

"Would you like me to introduce you?" Jacob nodded eagerly, a slightly stunned look on his face.

With a secret thrill, Bella led him towards Edward and Victoria. "Victoria, I'd like to introduce one of my best friends, Jacob Black."

Victoria smiled up at Jacob, blushing as Jacob took her hand and kissed it. Edward raised his eyebrow as he grinned at Bella.

"H...Hi Jacob," she stuttered.

"Please, call me Jake. Would you like to dance?" he asked.

"I'd love to." Bella and Edward forgotten, Jacob took Victoria in his arms as the music started.

Edward led Bella back to the table for a drink. "Well, that was interesting," he smirked.

Bella nodded. "Very. I've never seen Jacob act like that before."

"Must be all the romance in the air," he murmured as he nuzzled her neck. "Are you feeling romantic, Mrs Cullen?"

Bella felt a primal thrill at his words. "Very romantic, Mr Cullen."

"How long before we can leave?" he asked huskily.

"Soon, I hope. I'm feeling in need of a lie down. Women in my condition need lots of rest, you know." They had the long drive to Seattle when they left here and Bella couldn't wait to spend the next couple of days alone with Edward.

They chatted for a while with Rosalie and Emmett , who had brought along little Riley, who was having a great time running around under the tables. Alice and Bella were sitting down, taking a break when Esme came over, holding little Robbie who had fallen asleep in her arms.

"I see Victoria's having a good time," smiled Esme as they all turned to look at Jacob and Victoria dancing away and laughing together. Other than getting themselves something to drink, they hadn't stopped dancing, Victoria knowing Robbie was being well looked after.

"Do I sense something brewing there?" asked Rosalie with a sly grin. "After all, I was right about our lovebirds here, wasn't I?" she said, pointing at Bella and Edward.

"Can we have another bet?" asked Emmett eagerly, earning more laughs.

"Well, I for one would like to see Jacob happy," said Bella. "Let's hope we're seeing the start of another beautiful romance."

Finally, Alice announced it was time for Bella to change out of her wedding gown. Tearing herself from her husband's arms, she was dragged back inside. Alice helped her change into a beautiful floaty silver dress. When she was ready, she pulled Alice into her arms and hugged her as hard as Alice's tummy would allow.

"I love you, Al. Thank you so, so much for today. It would not have been such a beautiful day without you."

"I love you too, sis," grinned Alice, her eyes watery. "You've made my brother so happy and I'll be eternally grateful. You looked beautiful today, Bella."

They stood together in the hug until Bella felt Alice's baby kick her. "Sorry Junior. I didn't mean to squash you," smiled Bella.

"Junior's just anxious to meet his or her cousin," explained Alice. "Come on, I'm sure Edward's desperate to get you all to himself."

Bella and Edward went around thanking everyone for helping celebrate their special day before getting ready to throw the bouquet and toss the garter. When they got to Alice and Jasper, Edward pulled out a couple of boxes

"These are a token of Bella's and my appreciation and gratitude for all you guys did to make today such a fantastic day," he said handing them the boxes.

They gave Jasper a gold dress watch and Alice a pair of pearl earrings, both of them exclaiming in delight.

All the single men were hounded into trying to catch the garter. Edward knelt down and ran his hands up Bella's leg, making her tingle all over as he gave her a sensual grin. He then stood and tossed the garter to the waiting men and Bella couldn't help her gasp of laughter when it landed in Charlie's reluctant hands. Charlie was the object of several ribald remarks until he threatened to throw them all in the lockup if they didn't quit.

The last act before they left was to throw the bouquet. Bella threw the bouquet over her head and turned to see who had caught it. Victoria was standing there with the flowers in her arms, a surprised look on her face. Bella wondered if she had ever been to a wedding before. If not, it was definitely beginner's luck to catch the bouquet on her first go.

Finally, with a flurry of well-wishes, hugs and laughter, they were on their way to Seattle.

"It was a wonderful day, don't you think so?" asked Bella with a tired smile.

Edward kissed her hand before resting it on his thigh. "It was. I'm so happy, Mrs Cullen. You were so beautiful today. I'm such a lucky man."

"I'm the lucky one. I have an impossibly handsome husband and I'm going to be a mother in a few months. I couldn't ask for anything more."

"I love you."

"And I love you."

Unbidden, a yawn burst from Bella. Edward chuckled and caressed her cheek. "Why don't you have a sleep while I drive. You must be exhausted." His hand reached down to rub her belly.

"If you don't mind. Now that the adrenaline's wearing off, I can't seem to keep my eyes open," sighed Bella with another yawn.

"Sleep, love. I'll wake you when we're close to the Fairmont."

It seemed only minutes later that they were entering their favourite hotel suite. Bella was about to walk in when Edward stopped her.

"I'm a stickler for tradition, Mrs Cullen," he smiled as he picked her up in his arms, cradling her to his chest.

"Aren't we supposed to do this when we enter our home?" giggled Bella.

"So, I'll carry you over the threshold twice," shrugged Edward, closing the door with his foot and walking straight towards the bedroom where he lowered her down slowly, allowing her to slide down his body, both of their breaths hitching at the sensation.

Edward stepped back and took her hands in his, lifting them to his lips where he kissed and licked every finger in turn before tracing his tongue over her palms. Slowly he kissed his way up her arms, sucking gently on her shoulders, left bare by the halter-neck dress. Bella gripped his waist as his tongue laved her throat, working his way up to her jaw before taking her earlobe in his mouth.

She closed her eyes as her head fell back, exposing her throat to his touch, her pulse racing with excitement. Softly, sensually, Edward's lips skimmed over her skin, stopping over her pulse point and sucking gently. He hadn't touched her in any other way yet and her body was humming in anticipation.

"God, I love your skin. It's like the softest velvet," he murmured as his lips moved over her jaw and up over temple.

"Kiss me Edward," she pleaded as she cupped the back of his head and pulled him down. Their lips met in a deeply sensual kiss as they wordlessly conveyed their emotions. The kiss deepened and soon became hot and urgent, their tongues duelling for possession as their bodies strained against each other.

Needing to breathe, they pulled apart but Edward immediately bent down and sucked at the base of her throat as his hands moved over her breasts, kneading them gently, mindful of their sensitivity. Bella moaned softly against his hair when he undid the halter neck and freed her breasts. A bolt of desire raced through her when her rolled her nipples in his fingers, her skin flushed with a rosy hue.

"Mine," he mumbled as he took a turgid peak into his mouth, suckling on her as his hand massaged her other breast.

"Yes," she sighed. "I'm yours and you're mine."

"Always," he agreed, kneeling down as he pulled the dress all the way off. Edward sucked in his breath as he saw the white silk panties she wore. "You're so beautiful," he whispered as his mouth kissed and caressed its way down her body, stopping at her rounded belly. "I love you both so much," he said as he kissed her skin, feeling it ripple with desire.

Bella was concentrating on the feelings Edward was arousing within her and nearly missed it. As his tongue dipped into her belly button she felt a strange sensation that she thought was from his touch. It took a couple of times before the realisation struck her.

"Oh!" she gasped, her fingers tightening in his hair.

Edward lifted his head and looked at her in concern. "Did I hurt you, my love?" he asked worriedly.

Bella shook her head and looked down at him with a wobbly smile. "I think I just felt our baby move."

An enormous smile emerged on his face. "Oh wow, Bella!" Hie touched her stomach reverently, wishing he could feel it too but knowing it was too soon for the baby's movements to be felt by anyone but Bella.

"It felt like the touch of a butterfly's wings. Just a gentle, rhythmic tap," she said in wonder as she felt it once again.

"It must know that today was our special day and it wanted to be a part of it," said Edward with a loving smile. "I can't wait to be able to feel it too."

The emotions of the moment, of the day, were threatening to overwhelm Bella and she pulled him up and kissed him frantically as she tugged at his clothing.

"Oh baby, I love you so much," he murmured between kisses as he stripped his clothes off, his manhood pulsing with desire. Bella couldn't help herself as she took him in her hands, squeezing gently before kneeling down and taking him in her mouth.

"Oh god!" he moaned as he gripped her hair. Bella slowly sucked on him before running her tongue all over his length. "Oh baby, you're going to make me come if you keep that up," he warned.

In response she took him as deeply as she could, looking up at him while her hands stroked him at the same time. "Oh!..." he muttered as his body began to shake as he felt his impending orgasm approach. "Baby, I…_oh god!_" he moaned as her hand cupped his scrotum and gently kneaded. The sensations were too intense and he couldn't hold back any longer. With a low growl, he exploded into her mouth, his legs threatening to give way under him. The sight of Bella swallowing was so erotic he hardly lost any of his erection as Bella let him go. He pulled her up and kissed her deeply. "That was…intense," he gasped, still catching his breath. "Your turn, I think." He picked her up and deposited her gently on the huge bed.

With slow deliberation, Edward knelt over her and licked his way down her body, Bella squirming with pleasure. He positioned himself between her legs and touched a finger to her swollen sex, aching with desire. At his touch, her body bucked in response. At first all he did was run his fingertip all over her moist folds, driving her insane. "Oh god, Edward!" she moaned, desperate for more. "More," she demanded urgently.

"Your wish is my command," he murmured as he lowered his head and touched his tongue tip to her swollen clit. It was like a bolt of electricity had been inflicted on her body, and Bella keened in pleasure. With his fingers, he spread her for his mouth and proceeded to make love to her with his mouth and tongue, Bella's head thrashing on the pillows at the sensations he was giving her. "Ahh!..." she cried as he thrust his tongue into her while pressing on her clit. "Edward!..._oh my god!_" she groaned as her pleasure reached breaking point. He sucked hard on her clit and it was enough to finally send her over the abyss. "_Edward!.. I'm com…._" Was all she got out at her climax crashed over her, drowning out all thought processes.

Edward soothed his hands over her as she came down from her high, her body covered in a film of moisture. He nibbled his way up over her heaving body and lay on top of her, his aching member pressed against her still throbbing centre as he gave her a hot, open mouthed kiss.

Bella could feel his aching hot penis against her and despite still trying to catch her breath from her last amazing orgasm could feel herself begin to ache for his possession. She wriggled her hips experimentally, swallowing his gasps into her mouth.

"Oh baby, I want to be inside you, now," he begged, her heat scalding him.

"Yes. Now. Please," she begged. Opening her legs wide, she grabbed his butt and pushed.

Edward held his breath as he slid into her honeyed warmth, exhaling only when he was fully buried inside her. "_Fuck…_" he moaned softly, unable to help himself. She just felt so exquisite, so delicious, no other words came to mind. Kissing her deeply, began moving, driving them both towards sensual oblivion. "God I love you…" he breathed into her throat as he began pounding into her, her keening cries driving him insane.

"I…love…you…too," she gasped between his thrusts, her whole body shaking.

"_Bella!_..." he cried out as his body tensed. 'I'm coming baby!..."

"_Ahhh!_..." was all she could manage as her back arched, her head thrown back as her orgasm began where they were joined and quickly spread throughout every single nerve cell, leaving her incoherent with pleasure.

Edward felt her walls clamp down on him as she climaxed and he couldn't help the shout that left his lips as he tumbled over the edge, his body wracked with spasms of delight. He could feel himself spill into her endlessly and knew that if she hadn't already been pregnant, she would surely have been after this. This was too powerful, too intense not to leave a lasting trace.

He collapsed onto her as they both gasped for air for their deprived lungs. It took several minutes for them to be able to think, much less move. With decidedly shaky limbs, Edward lifted himself onto his elbows and smiled tenderly at her flushed face.

"I love you, Mrs Cullen. My Bella," he whispered against her lips.

"My Edward. I love you too, Mr Cullen. Always."

"Forever."

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: It's funny how life imitates art sometimes. Today's paper had a story about a policeman in Sydney who was told he'd never father any more children after treatment for bowel cancer. IVF wasn't an option because of the risk of a multiple pregnancy so they settled for one child. Then lo and behold, a couple of years later, she fell pregnant naturally - with quads! Doctors are astounded at how they conceived naturally. The babies (all girls) were born recently and are doing well. So Edward's little miracle isn't so far-fetched after all!**

**The song "All of You" is by Julio Iglesias and Diana Ross.**

**Anyway, let me know what you thought.**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Hi everyone. Thanks so much for your lovely reviews. I'm glad you enjoyed the wedding (and the wedding night!).**

**I'm not exactly sure, but there's only about 3 chapters left as well as an epilogue. I'm thinking of adding outtakes on Alice & Jasper, Jacob & Victoria, Charlie & Kara - expand a little on them if there's any interest in reading that. Let me know.**

**Anyway, we finally meet one of our babies this chapter. Enjoy!**

o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 29

The pale light of morning roused Edward from his deep sleep. He was curled around Bella, arm around her waist, his hand resting on her stomach. He breathed in deeply, luxuriating in her scent, which he would know anywhere. With a smile, he nuzzled into her hair, various strands of which clung to his chest like a lover's caress.

He thought about the previous day, still finding it hard to believe Bella was now his wife. How much his life had changed in less than a year. A year ago, he was struggling to find any joy in his life as he dealt with Tanya's heinous accusations. Edward could admit to himself now that he was close to just giving it all away, for a while at least. Even before the Tanya debacle, he was feeling a discontentment with his life that he was trying to suppress. And although he loved his work, his heart wasn't totally in it. He was functioning on autopilot, doing all the right things but not really _there_.

Edward realised now, in hindsight, that he was lonely. And that loneliness was pervading both his professional and personal life. He could feel a bitterness creeping over him. Bitterness at his misfortune at getting cancer at a young age. Bitterness that the cancer had stolen something so precious from him. And bitterness that due to the results of the cancer he felt he couldn't allow himself to have a lasting relationship with a woman.

During his early twenties, after he'd recovered from the testicular cancer, he'd done what most young men do. He'd partied hard and slept with more than his fair share of women. He knew he was attractive to women and he'd never had any trouble enticing them into his bed. He wasn't a lothario by any means, but he'd certainly enjoyed himself, in between studying and working.

Then, as is often the case, one by one, his friends began pairing off with their partners as they moved into another phase of their lives. More and more, they preferred to spend their free time with each other, the party lifestyle no longer appealing. Edward himself was tired of that lifestyle but he was too afraid to take the risk of entering a long term relationship. He didn't know if he could bear the rejection if the woman in his life decided he wasn't enough for her anymore and left to find a man that could give her children without the intrusive and risky path of IVF.

For the next few years he basically concentrated on his work and obtaining his qualifications. His residency was arduous and he didn't have much time for going out anyway. He preferred to spend his free time catching up on lost sleep. When his need for companionship became too much he would find a willing female who understood from the outset that he wasn't looking for anything permanent.

Something twisted inside him when the first of his friends became a father. He smiled and congratulated the happy parents but inside, he felt empty. He wouldn't ever have the joy of holding his child in his arms, of watching it grow. Of having a family of his own. Carlisle had assured him several times that his chances of becoming a father got better with every advancement made in IVF technology but Edward couldn't accept it. It was one thing for a couple to find out they were infertile after they were in a relationship and to explore their options; it was another for him to enter a relationship knowing full well that the woman would have to endure the gruelling IVF process in order to conceive.

Needing to get away for a while, he volunteered to go to Africa for six months to work at a women's hospital that was desperate for doctors. And it was an eye opener. There was so much poverty and disease that he learned to live day by day in order to cope. Equipment was basic and often several years old, and supplies were patchy at best. He had to learn to use whatever resources were available to him. His first neonatal death shattered him, the first of many. In those six months, he saw more women and children die than he ever imagined possible. With poor nutrition and next to no pre-natal care, scores of the babies he delivered barely clung to life. He did his absolute best but it was inevitable that he lost babies and mothers. The experience was soul destroying in many ways but it also gave him a sense of purpose and a gratitude for what he had. He was never going to take the blessings in his life for granted again. Not being able to father children was minor compared to the struggle these people went through just to survive.

At the end of his six months, he returned to New York with a sense of relief and sadness. Sadness that his contribution was only a drop in the ocean; that these lovely people needed so much more than he could give and relief at being able to return to his world. His first hamburger after his return tasted like the finest offering by the finest chef.

On his return he tried to put any dissatisfaction with his life to the back of his mind. He didn't feel justified at having these feelings when he had so much. He tried to accept the way things were. He purposely chose not to have any affairs with women, and lived a celibate life, concentrating on his work. And yet, over the next 18 months his loneliness and discontentment grew, culminating in the business with Tanya.

When his life seemed to be imploding around him, Edward contemplated simply walking away. He had plenty of money; he could do whatever he wanted for a while. He could travel, get a hobby, anything. Suddenly, all those years of work and study seemed like a waste.

Getting that call from Carlisle was his saviour. As Carlisle expounded on the virtues of life in Forks, Edward began to see the benefits. Firstly, he would be able to see his family all the time. He'd missed his parents and Alice so much. Alice had been to visit with her new husband shortly after he returned from Africa and when they'd left, the loneliness had been even more acute. Secondly, he liked the thought of living life at a slower pace, actually getting to know his patients, not just seeing them fleetingly when they gave birth. Making some meaningful friendships to make up for the family he wouldn't have. Or at least being a proper uncle to Alice's future children, not just a name.

The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to go. He decided that if he wasn't released from his contract, he was going to go to Forks anyway and just wait out his time. Luckily his threat worked and he drove from one side of the country to the other, enjoying himself for the first time in a long time. He felt deep inside that he'd made the right choice.

Then he'd crashed into the softest body imaginable, and looked into the depths of those endless brown eyes and his world had undergone a seismic shift. He'd felt like his heart stopped and had restarted with her at its centre. And though he tried to fight it at first, he could no more resist the lure of Bella than the tides could resist the pull of the moon.

With every word, every look, every touch, he fell further under her spell and for the first time felt brave enough to take the risk of letting her know about his past. He knew that if she walked away, he'd probably never recover but he had to try. His heart compelled him to try.

Bella brought him the greatest happiness he'd ever known. He felt complete, all loneliness banished in the warmth of her love. Because of her, he rediscovered his love of his work and when they worked together, he was fulfilled. And none of his encounters with women in the past, none of them, could compare with the way he felt when he made love with his beloved Bella. She gave him ecstasy beyond belief. It was like their bodies were designed to fit together in the most perfect way imaginable. He couldn't imagine being with anyone else, ever, after being with Bella.

Looking back, he probably shouldn't have been so surprised that they had created a new life together. Meeting Bella had been a miracle in itself, the baby an extension of that miracle. He hadn't been able to contain his utter joy at knowing that his baby, his child, was growing inside her. Every unspoken prayer had been answered and he would be forever grateful to whatever generous god had given them this gift.

Now, here he lay, with the love of his life in his arms. His wife. The words still gave him a thrill to think them. Gently, he lifted her hand and stared at the two rings on her ring finger. His rings, a symbol of endless love. A love and a marriage that they'd consummated last night in the most perfect way possible. Edward could feel himself getting hard as he thought about their lovemaking, his erection rubbing along her bare backside which was pressed up tightly against him. He swallowed the moan threatening to erupt but couldn't help himself pressing into her just a little.

He let her hand go and moved his to cover her breast, now large enough to fill his hand. He absolutely revelled in the changes to her body. Her breasts were so tempting now, and he loved burying his face between them before taking an engorged nipple in his mouth. Bella's pregnancy was making her even more responsive and he'd been able to bring her to orgasm by simply playing with her breasts. Further down, her softly rounded stomach was a delight to stroke. He felt a reverence when he stroked her, in awe of how her body was nurturing their baby, until it was ready to survive on its own. Even as an obstetrician, the miracle of life was awe inspiring to him, even more so when he tried to imagine what their baby would look like.

Now that she was in the second trimester, Bella wanted to make love even more than usual. He knew that hormones were part of it but he wasn't complaining in the least. The extra blood flowing through her body was making her super sensitive, making her climaxes more intense. Listening to her cry out in pleasure was so erotic Edward had lost it a few times, unable to control his body's reaction to her cries. Yes, he was loving her pregnancy.

The feel of his hands on her breast woke Bella from her sleep. She smiled as he kneaded it gently, his thumb softly rubbing her nipple. It felt heavenly and she could feel her sex get heavy with arousal. Bella seemed to feel arousal all the time, and she was determined to make the most of it while it lasted. Hormones were partly responsible, but Edward was even more so. He was just so damned sexy and knowing what he could do to her body made her instantly aroused. She swivelled her hips, grinding herself into him and smiled at his groan of pleasure.

His hand slowly moved to the other breast and teased the nipple, pulling it slightly. He kissed her shoulder as she gasped at the sensation. His lips moved up over her neck as his hand moved lower. Bella arched her neck, giving him greater access. His hand grazed over her skin, making her shiver delicately in reaction until he reached her hip. Wrapping his fingers over her hipbone, he pulled her back into him, his erection pulsing insistently against her backside.

With a small groan, Bella turned her head, allowing his lips to merge with hers in a deep, open-mouthed kiss. She gasped into his mouth when his fingers found their way between her legs, burying themselves in her wetness. Slowly, teasingly, he massaged her flesh, dipping his fingers into her and driving her insane.

"Oh god!" she moaned into the pillow as she bent her leg to allow him greater freedom. He was licking her neck and earlobe in tandem with his fingers and she began grinding into him as the pressure built.

Edward removed his fingers, to Bella's disappointment, but that didn't last long when she felt him place his erection between her legs, making him slick with her juices.

"Mmm, you feel so hot," he murmured against her ear as he thrust between her legs, making her squirm with pleasure.

"Feels good," she cooed, reaching behind her and pulling his lips back to hers. She lowered her leg, trapping him against her, her breathing becoming more laboured as he rubbed against her clit with each thrust. His fingers resumed pinching and pulling on her nipples and she could feel herself getting closer to her climax. She reached down between her legs and caressed him as he moved against her. His breath come in short gusts as her fingers played with him so he tangled his fingers with hers and rolled her nub around.

"Oohh!" moaned Bella as her orgasm raced through her, her hips grinding frantically.

Edward couldn't take any more and he lifted her leg back up and positioned himself at her entrance. "I love you," he breathed as he entered her honeyed warmth, hissing at the intense pleasure.

Her leg lowered and neither of them moved for a few moments as they savoured the feelings of him buried inside her at this angle. He was pulsing against her walls and he couldn't help thrusting. Bella thrust back and he bit his lip, trying to stop himself from coming straight away.

"Ahh...yes," breathed Bella, her hips swivelling against his, taking him as deeply into her body as she could.

"Oh god, baby!" he ground out, his movements getting quicker as he gripped her hip to anchor himself.

Soon, words were impossible as their bodies moved together urgently, Edward's hips pounding relentlessly against her, searching for release. The bed was shaking with their movements and their laboured breathing and bodies crashing together were the only sounds.

"I'm...I'm...coming," cried Bella, as she pushed back, taking him so deeply she felt consumed by him. His next thrust was enough to send her over the edge and she keened in pleasure as her climax washed over her, taking her breath. Her whole body shook in reaction, aftershocks running through her as Edward kept thrusting into her.

The sound and feel of Bella coming apart around him pushed him close to the edge and when Bella reached down between her legs and stroked his scrotum he tipped over and groaned gutturally into her shoulder as he poured himself into her, his arm pulling her back against his chest as slowly pumped into her, bringing them both back down.

They lay there for a few moments, struggling for breath, ripples of pleasure still running through them. Edward finally lifted his head, cupping her chin and pulling her mouth towards his. He gave her a deep, languorous kiss, his hand moving to rest on her belly.

"Good morning, Mrs Cullen," he smiled lazily. "How's my wife feeling this morning?"

Bella smiled back. "Very, very satisfied, Mr Cullen," she replied.

"That's good. I'd hate to get any complaints," he said, kissing her shoulder.

"Definitely no complaints here." She gave a small groan as pulled out of her then stretched. Edward watched her breasts bounce with her movements and couldn't help leaning down to flick her nipple with his tongue.

"Mmm, definitely my favourite breakfast," he teased as she pulled his head up for another kiss.

"Mine too, but bub and I need something a little more substantial," she smiled back.

With a quick kiss he rolled out of bed, Bella admiring the sight of his taut behind as he walked to the bathroom and returned wearing a bathrobe.

"Why don't you have a shower and I'll order breakfast," he suggested, helping her up. He wrapped his arms around her naked body and pulled her close. "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied between kisses. "I'm starving."

Edward chuckled. "Go, have your shower," he said, giving her a soft slap on her delicious backside, listening to her giggles as the water started.

After a leisurely breakfast, they headed down to the Pike Place Markets, strolling through the various stalls and shops hand in hand. They talked about what kind of house they wanted to build, Edward wisely deferring to Bella in most matters of style. Bella planned to consult Esme and Alice when it came to the interior decoration although she definitely wanted it to be a warm and welcoming home. Not for her a cold, show-room type of house.

That evening Edward took her out to one of Seattle's finest restaurants before returning to their hotel suite and taking a long, sensual bath in the huge tub. Later, wrapped tightly in each other's arms, they fell into a deep, contented sleep.

The ringing of Edward's phone woke them with a start. They knew that no-one would be ringing them unless it was an emergency and Edward quickly reached for it.

"Edward Cullen."

"Hi Edward. I'm really sorry to ring you on your honeymoon, but Alice looks like she's gone into labour," said a frazzled sounding Jasper.

"It's okay. Is she definitely in labour or could she be having Braxton-Hicks contractions?" asked Edward, needing to determine if Alice could be having false contractions which were common in late pregnancy. Alice wasn't due for another three weeks but she was close enough that he wasn't worried if she was in labour, the baby was mature enough to be born.

"No, it's definitely the real thing," replied Jasper. "She's had the other type and they usually disappeared within a short time. She's been having these for nearly two hours. She didn't want me to ring you but I need your advice."

"I'm glad you did. How often is she having the contractions?"

"Between ten and fifteen minutes at the moment."

"Okay, she's probably got a while to go. Bella and I will head back now. Being so early, traffic should be light and we'll probably make it within a couple of hours. If the contractions get down to five minutes apart before we get there, or if you're worried at all, go to the hospital. It's better to safe than sorry and we'll meet you there. If you have any concerns, ring me. Bella will be able to help you or I'll relay any information as I drive."

"Okay," said Jasper, audibly nervous.

"Relax. It'll be fine. Look after Alice and we'll see you soon."

Bella was already getting dressed as Edward hung up. "Good thing we weren't going away," said Bella ruefully as she began packing their bag.

"Babies have a way of making their appearances at the worst times, don't they?" chuckled Edward. "Ready?"

They drove quickly through the dark roads that gradually lightened as the sun rose. As predicted, traffic was very light and it only took them just under to two hours to arrive on the outskirts of Forks. Bella rang Jasper and asked him to meet them at the hospital.

"This baby's obviously taking after Alice," commented Bella.

"Why do you say that?"

"It's impatient, just like its mother."

Edward nodded in agreement. "Heaven help Jasper."

They arrived at Forks Hospital shortly before Jasper and Alice and got the delivery suite set up while they waited. A few staff members asked them about the wedding and Bella was describing the day's events, when Alice walked into Maternity, supported by Jasper.

"Alice!" cried Bella as she hugged her. "The big day's here."

Alice grimaced as a contraction started. "Sorry about ruining your honeymoon. Maybe I can just keep my legs crossed for another few days," she joked feebly.

"Don't be silly," soothed Edward, putting his arm around his sister. "Bella and I wouldn't miss this for anything."

"No Alice. We wouldn't. Come on, let's get you into the delivery room so Edward can see what's happening," urged Bella.

"I take it your water's haven't broken?" asked Edward as they helped Alice onto the bed.

"Not yet," replied Alice. "I got the first pain around 3am and at first I thought it was Braxton-Hicks contractions but when I kept having them over an hour later, I realised that this is the real thing."

"Ow, here comes another one," she gasped, grabbing her stomach. Bella placed her hand on Alice's stomach and felt the muscles contract. It didn't last very long so Bella guessed that Alice still had some time to go yet.

"Bella, can you take Alice's blood pressure while we have a listen to the baby and then I'll do an internal to see how far dilated you are," he said to Alice, who nodded, relieved that this contraction was over. Edward put the Doppler on Alice's stomach and they all listened to the rapid heartbeat. "Unfortunately, you are only 2 to 3 centimetres dilated so you've still got a long way to go."

"Damn," said Alice, gripping Jasper's hand. "I'm over it already. I don't like this bit about having babies."

Edward grinned at his sister in understanding. "Look, as it could be hours and you're not technically in established labour, Jasper can take you home for a while so you can be comfortable. When the contractions get closer and stronger you can come back. Or you can stay here but maybe go for some walks to see if that will speed things up."

Alice looked at Jasper. "What should I do, Jazz?"

Jasper shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever feels right for you, babe. Do you want to be at home for a while?"

Alice thought about it and nodded her head. "Okay, take me home."

"When the contractions get stronger or closer together, or even if you feel you need to be here, call me and we'll meet you back here," said Edward. "If your water's break, call me and come straight in."

Seeing them out to the car, Bella and Edward drove home. "Why don't you have a nap, baby?" suggested Edward, holding her close. "I'll wake you if I hear anything from Alice."

Bella nodded and kissed him. "Why don't you join me? It could be a long day."

Holding her close, they fell asleep, Edward's phone nearby. What seemed like minutes later, but was really close to three hours later, the phone woke them up abruptly.

"Alice's waters broke," came Jasper's audibly rattled voice on the phone.

"Okay, we'll meet you at the hospital. She won't be going home again until the baby's here," said Edward reassuringly.

For the second time that day, they arrived at the hospital ready to deliver Alice's baby. This time, Alice was holding her stomach, groaning in pain as Jasper almost carried her in.

"Come Alice, let's get you settled," said Bella soothingly as they entered the delivery suite again. "How often are the contractions now?"

Jasper was the one to answer. "Every four or five minutes. When her waters broke they seemed to speed up."

Bella nodded, as she went to listen to the heartbeat. As they listened, Alice had another contraction. At the peak of the contraction, the baby's heartbeat slowed down and didn't pick up again until the contraction passed. Bella looked at Edward and saw the frown on his face.

"I'm going to check your dilation, Al," said Edward. Several moments later, Edward straightened, the frown still on his face.

"What is it?" Alice.

"Unfortunately, you haven't dilated much more than you were before."

Alice groaned in frustration. "No!"

Jasper stroked her hair, trying to soothe her. "Why is it so slow? She's been in labour for hours."

"I'm not happy about it, particularly since your water's have broken. We'll have to monitor you closely as we can't leave it too long. Infection can set in if we wait too long." Edward looked at Bella. "Can we put a foetal heart monitor on? I want to keep a eye on the baby."

Bella nodded and proceeded to wrap a belt with a monitor attached onto Alice's stomach. A machine next to the bed printed out a continuous trace of the baby's heartbeat, as well as showing the beats per minute on a screen. Edward saw that in between contractions, the heartbeat was a normal 145 beats per minute but when a contraction started, it fell to around 80. This worried him as the drop was quite dramatic. A drop in beats was normal but this was excessive.

Alice was now effectively tied to the bed and unable to walk around. Bella reminded her that she could have painkillers, but Alice declined.

Thirty minutes later, Alice was moaning in pain as each contraction was longer and stronger than before and Bella hoped that she was dilating. She and Edward were keeping a close eye on the monitor and could see that the baby's heartbeat still kept dropping during each contraction.

Another internal showed that Alice wasn't dilating despite the strength of her contractions. "Alice, I need to check the baby's oxygen levels to make sure its oxygen supply isn't being compromised," explained Edward as Bella got the instruments ready.

"How do you do that?" asked Jasper, his hair all askew from the number of times he'd run his hand through it.

"I need to insert this probe which will make a tiny cut, allowing me to collect a sample of blood which I can check for oxygen saturation."

"Will it hurt the baby?" asked Alice worriedly.

Edward shook his head. "It's just a tiny nick. Unfortunately, it's more uncomfortable for you."

With Bella's help, Alice had to put her legs up in stirrups while Edward collected the sample. He had to work quickly between contractions, and Alice moaned in further discomfort. Once he collected the sample, Bella helped her get as comfortable as possible again.

Edward walked over to the machine that analysed the blood sample, followed by Bella.

"I'm worried about her, Bella," he confided worriedly. "It's been too long, she's not dilating and she's tiring. If I let it go too long, she'll be too tired to push. The heartbeat's still dropping with each contraction."

"Should she have a caesarean?" asked Bella.

"I'll get the oxygen levels then make a decision but it's looking likely."

They looked at Alice, her hair matted, her face red and sweaty as she coped with another contraction. A contraction that was proving fruitless as it wasn't achieving its aim, to dilate her cervix enough to allow her to give birth. They could see the exhaustion and despair on her face.

Half an hour later, Edward saw the heartbeat drop alarmingly low and he knew they couldn't wait any longer.

"Alice, unfortunately your body is not co-operating with us today. You're just not dilating and the signs are that the baby is going into distress. The heart rate is dropping too much for my liking and you're just getting exhausted. We're going to have to take you to surgery for a c-section."

Alice burst into tears at the news. "Are you sure? Can't you wait a little longer?"

Bella took her hand. "Alice, we can't, for the baby's sake. A healthy baby is the most important thing, isn't it?"

"Baby, you're in so much pain and exhausted," said Jasper, holding his wife. "We don't have any choice. Do we?" he asked Edward.

Edward shook his head. "No. If we leave it longer, it will be too dangerous for the baby."

Alice, still crying nodded her head. "I know. That's the most important thing. I just want my baby born safely."

That seemed to be the catalyst for the frantic activity that followed. Edward asked Jasper to help Alice take off all her jewellery while Bella called the theatre to have it readied and to summon the anaesthetist.

The porters came in and transferred Alice to the surgery whilst Edward and Bella scrubbed up. Bella didn't usually assist but she wasn't going anywhere with this being Alice.

When they entered the theatre, the anaesthetist had given Alice an epidural and was waiting for it to take full effect. Alice had been changed into a theatre gown and a screen had been put up over her chest, shielding her from the goriest bits. Jasper had been gowned up as well and he sat at Alice's head, stroking her face in comfort.

Edward walked up to Alice and gave her a wink. "Ready Al?"

Alice nodded. "Let's get this show on the road. I need to see my baby." Now that the pain was gone, she was decidedly more relaxed and even able to make a joke.

With Bernard assisting, Edward made the initial incision, making sure Alice couldn't feel any pain. Alice assured him that she couldn't feel a thing.

It was only a few minutes later that Edward reached in an pulled out the slippery infant, covered in blood and fluids. He took a quick look and grinned widely.

"Congratulations you two. I have a new niece," he exclaimed as he quickly suctioned her mouth out.

"A girl! Jazz, we have a girl!" cried Alice, tears running down as Jasper leaned over and kissed her. "Let me see her Edward," she pleaded.

Giving his tiny niece a quick check, he was pleased with her condition. She was a healthy pink colour and she gave a few good yells of indignation as he handed her over to Bella so that he could finish with Alice.

Bella took the baby, wrapped her in a blanket and carried her around to Alice. "Congratulations. She's gorgeous," said Bella as she gently placed the baby on Alice's chest.

Alice and Jasper looked at their daughter in wonder. She had wisps of black hair, like her mother's and it remained to be seen what colour her eyes would be. Her little head was slightly cone headed, her face red and scrunched up.

"Why is her head this shape?" asked Alice worriedly.

Bella was quick to reassure her. "It's okay Alice. It's just because she was in the birth canal for so long and the bones moved to allow her head to pass. It's normal and her head will return to normal within a few days."

Alice nodded in relief as she and Jasper crooned over their daughter before she needed to be taken to be properly checked over.

Edward finished closing Alice up and went to clean up while Bella performed the checks and pronouncing her a very healthy baby. Putting a pink cap on her, she wrapped her up and gave her a cuddle.

"Hello gorgeous. I'm you're Auntie Bella. I'm really happy to meet you at last. How about we get back to Mommy and Daddy who are anxious to be with you?" She carried her back to her parents and placed her in Jasper's arms. "Here you go, Daddy."

Jasper beamed as he held his daughter, her tiny body dwarfed in his arms. Alice was watching them, reaching out to touch her soft cheek. Jasper leaned down and kissed his wife gently. "I love you baby. I'm so proud of you."

Edward came back in the room as they waited for the porters to take Alice back to Maternity. "So, does my little niece have a name yet?" he asked, taking one of the baby's tiny hands in his.

"After lots of discussion…" began Alice.

"Fights," clarified Jasper with a grin.

"Discussion," insisted Alice. "We've decided to call her Alyssa Jane."

"It's similar to Alice but different enough not to get the two confused," explained Jasper, unable to take his eyes off the baby.

"It's lovely," said Bella.

"Have you contacted Mom and Dad?" asked Edward.

Jasper nodded. "I rang them when Alice was being moved here. They're probably waiting in maternity."

The porters arrived to transfer Alice, Jasper following with Alyssa. Edward found his parents in Carlisle's office and took them up to Alice's room. Esme cried as she held her first grandchild in her arms.

Before they left Alice and Jasper to spend time alone with their baby, Edward checked Alice's painkillers. He told her to make sure she asked for more if she required them. Giving his sister and niece a tender kiss he wished them a good night.

"Bye Alice. I'm so happy for you both," said Bella as she hugged Alice carefully. She gave Jasper a hug and had one last cuddle with Alyssa before they left.

As they lay in bed that night, tired but happy, Edward rubbed his hand over Bella's stomach. "I can't wait until it's us," he murmured into her hair. "Felt much movement?"

"A little. Mainly when I'm still. We have to be patient. Time will fly, Edward and before you know it, we'll be in the delivery suite."

"I know. Alice and Jasper were so happy, weren't they?" he mused with a smile.

Bella nodded. "A shame Alice couldn't deliver the way she wanted, but at least they're both well."

"I got worried for bit there, but all's well. It was really special delivering my own flesh and blood," he said. "Touching her as I reached in was weird. This was my sister and this baby was my niece or nephew. It was a rush," he admitted.

"Well, you looked so sweet holding the baby," she murmured into his neck before giving a big yawn.

Edward chuckled. "Goodnight my love. Good night little one," he said softly as Bella drifted off to sleep.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: Now, I know that in reality Edward wouldn't be able to perform surgery on his sister, but I've taken creative licence with this one, okay.**

**I added a couple of my experiences in this chapter. With my first, I was sent home twice before I was allowed to stay because I dilated so damned slowly!**

**With my last, my son's heartbeat kept dropping dramatically with each contraction. They had to get a sample of his blood as described in the chapter. I came within a hair's breadth away from having a caesarian but delivered soon after, avoiding one. To this day, ten years later, my son still has a tiny spot on his head that won't grow hair - a reminder of his birth.**

**Anyway, let me know what you thought.**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Hi again. Sorry it's taken me longer to post this chapter but I've had a few health issues lately and it's really hard to write when you're in pain! That's also why this chapter is probably my shortest to date, but I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. **

**I just want to thank all of you once again for your wonderful support. I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you but I promise I read every review and treasure all of them.**

**Hope you like the next one.**

Chapter 30

A couple of days later, Bella was sitting with Alyssa in her arms in Alice's hospital room. She was due to return to work the following day, along with Edward, but they were taking this time to get to know their niece. Jasper and Edward had gone downstairs to visit with Carlisle, leaving the three girls on their own.

"How's the feeding going?" asked Bella as she rocked the infant.

Alice shifted in the bed, grimacing slightly as the movement caused the dull stab of pain to radiate from her wound. "Ow! That hurt," she complained as she tried to find a comfortable position.

"Do you need more painkillers?" asked Bella. "I can get the nurse to bring you more."

"No, it's alright. It's only when I move suddenly. And to answer your question, I can't say I'm enjoying our feeds."

"What's the problem?"

"It hurts, for a start. And quite frankly, I'm over pain at the moment," said Alice, scrunching up her face.

"You'll start feeling better soon," said Bella sympathetically. "You said the wound was healing well, didn't you?"

"That's what the doc says, but I won't be able to drive for a few weeks, and that sucks."

Bella hid the smile that threatened. A grumpy Alice was _not_ something you wanted to deal with on a regular basis. For someone that could hardly sit still, the enforced bed rest and the limitations on what she could physically do while her body recuperated from the caesarean was enough to make her crazy.

"But it was worth it, wasn't it?" asked Bella, looking at Alyssa.

Alice looked at her daughter and smiled tenderly. "Yes, she's worth it." She reached out and touched the baby's cheek. "She's beautiful, isn't she? I'm thinking she's going to have Jasper's eyes."

"Why's that?"

"I know most babies have blue eyes at birth but hers are a really deep blue already. I'm almost certain they'll stay blue."

"If that's true, poor Jasper will be fighting off boys sooner than he wishes. I think Alyssa is going to be very popular with the boys, with her dark hair and blue eyes."

"God, don't let Jasper hear you say that!" giggled Alice giggled. "He's already talking about getting a shotgun and having it ready by the front door, in case any male gets any ideas!"

They were laughing together when Alyssa began making little whimpers as she stirred from her sleep. Opening her eyes, she stared up at Bella for a few moments before her face scrunched and she let out a wail of protest.

"Oh dear. Looks like someone's hungry, I think," murmured Bella with a smile.

"I'm not surprised. She's got an appetite, my daughter," said Alice as she grabbed a pillow. With Bella's help, Alyssa was soon feeding. Alice looked guiltily at Bella.

"Bella?"

"What?"

"Can I tell you something?"

Bella frowned. "Of course, Al. What is it?"

Alice bit her lip for a moment before she spoke. "Um, I…I don't like breastfeeding. In fact, I hate it," she whispered as she looked down at her baby. "Am I an awful person?"

Bella reached out and took Alice's free hand. "Of course not! It's perfectly alright to feel like that. Breastfeeding isn't for everyone. Is there a specific problem that's making you feel that way?"

Shaking her head, Alice replied,. "Not really, other than it really hurts. I know that eventually goes away but I'm just not enjoying it. It's messy, and I don't feel comfortable feeding her in front of others, except for you and Jasper. And Mom. I want to put her on formula but I'm afraid I'll be looked at as being selfish and irresponsible."

"If that's how you really feel, then you need to do what's best for you and Alyssa. If you put her on formula, Alyssa will do perfectly well and you can still have the closeness and bonding while you feed her. It's better for her that you are relaxed and happy, rather than tense and unhappy every time she needs a feed. Don't worry about what anyone says, it's your body and your baby and you know that you're doing the best for her. I would suggest you feed her for another day or so, because the colostrum will help her immune system but after that, put her on the bottle. I'm sure Jasper will enjoy feeding her as well."

Alice smiled. "Thanks Bella. I feel better now. It's just so uncomfortable holding her with these stitches but I'll feed her for another day or two."

"No problem. We have some samples here on the unit that you can try. Some formula'sformulas suit some babies more than others but they all contain the nutrients they need. Do you have bottles and things?"

"No. I just expected to be breastfeeding afterwards."

"Okay. How about I get you what you'll need and I'll bring it in tomorrow. We have a steriliser on the unit but I'll get you one for home. I'll show you how to use it when you're ready."

"Thanks Bella. You're the best." She changed Alyssa's position and continued feeding.

"Does Jasper know how you feel? Is he okay with it?" asked Bella.

"Yes, I told him. He says whatever I decide is fine with him. If we bottle-feed, he'll even take the night feeds."

"Wow, now that's an offer I wouldn't knock back," laughed Bella.

"Don't worry, I'm not about to," agreed Alice as she made the burped the baby burp.

They were laughing when Jasper and Edward came back in the room. Edward sat down next to Bella, softly kissing her temple as he took her hand in his.

"Here Edward, get some practice before it's your turn," said Alice, indicating the now dozing baby.

Edward grinned and picked up his niece, holding her tightly against his chest. "Hello, little one," he murmured as he kissed her head. He looked quite comfortable holding the tiny infant as they talked. Alyssa stirred a couple of times but Edward gently rubbed her back and she settled down again.

Bella didn't think he'd ever looked so desirable as he did while holding the baby. It always did things to her. She still felt like she had to pinch herself sometimes, to reassure herself that this wasn't all a vivid dream. To think that an ordinary person like her could be married to a man with not only movie-star looks, but with a beautiful soul as well, who loved her so much was hard to believe at times.

She really hadn't been looking for someone when they met. Like she'd told him, she had been content with her life, not missing someone special in her life. She had her friends and her work and that had been enough. Maybe in later years she may have wanted someone to share her life with, and she did want a baby someday, but at that point, she was content.

Until she'd crashed into the bronze-haired, green-eyed dream that was Edward Cullen. If he'd only had his looks, she probably would have been able to resist him, hard as that would be. Hell, she was only human. But coupled with his warmth, sense of humour, intelligence and his all encompassing sexiness, she'd had no chance of resisting his allure. Not that she wanted to, anyway. And even though her intimate experiences with men were limited, she felt sure that Edward was in a class of his own when it came to lovemaking. God, she only had to look at him to get that tingly feeling in her body. The more she had him, the more she wanted him.

At that momentmoment, she felt the baby move and she automatically reached down to touch her stomach. Now that she knew what it felt like, she felt the movements often. She felt that the movements were getting stronger already but she couldn't feel them with her hand. She hoped it wouldn't be long before Edward would be able to feel their baby.

They heard voices and footsteps coming towards the room before Esme and Victoria came into view.

"Where's my little grand-daughter?" asked Esme as she kissed Alice and Jasper.

"Here Mom," replied Edward.

"Hello darling," crooned Esme as she took the baby from Edward and covered her little face with kisses. "God I love that baby smell."

"Hi Victoria," said Bella, as Edward stood up to let her sit with Robbie. "Hi, little guy. Gosh, you can tell how much he's grown since he was born, can't you? He looks huge next to Alyssa."

"I know," agreed Victoria. "He's still tiny to me and then I look at Alyssa and see how much my little man's grown. Haven't you, pumpkin?" she crooned, nuzzling her son's neck and earning a grin and a gurgle.

"Goodness, we're going to have a menagerie of babies soon," said Esme. "How wonderful. If any of you need a babysitter, I'm your man, you know."

Esme was revelling in all the babies. To have her children around her, happy and fulfilled and with their own children was all she'd ever wanted for them. And she considered Victoria as one of her children now, with Robbie a grandson. She hoped Victoria would find someone to make her happy. After seeing her with Jacob at Edward's wedding, she was hoping something would happen there.

They were chatting for a while when Alice asked Victoria if she had enjoyed herself at Bella's wedding. They were all intrigued to see a deep blush suffuse her face.

"Um...yeah...it was great. It was my first wedding, you know," she replied.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," smiled Bella. She was tempted to make a comment about Jacob but restrained herself. The poor girl didn't need teasing from them.

After leaving the hospital Bella and Edward drove into Port Angeles to get the feeding equipment Alice needed. They walked into the large baby goods store, looking around at the seemingly endless rows of baby paraphernalia. There was a whole row of different cots and cradles, another full of baby carriages. There were walkers, rockers, bouncers, play mats, baby baths, toys, bed linen and any number of assorted items.

"Wow! I think we came to the right place," breathed Edward in awe. "If we can't find what we need here, there's something really wrong."

Bella nodded in agreement. "Shall we have a look around before we get the bottles for Alice? We're going to start looking around for baby furniture soon so we might as well see what's available."

"This is going to be fun.," grinned Edward grinned, rubbing his hands together.

They ended up spending almost two hours looking around before Bella pleaded a need for food. Edward was engrossed in everything,everything; he was like a kid in a toy shop.

"Wow, look at this!" was his common catch phrase as he discovered another piece of equipment or item that took his fancy.

Bella smiled indulgently as she watched him while looking around more slowly herself. She looked at the various cradles and cots, amazed at the variety. They ranged from the traditional wooden style to the more modern, clean lines. As she walked down the aisle, a particular cot caught her eye. It was made from maple wood and was in the traditional style, with the rails beautifully carved. She liked that it wasn't too fussy. The base was able to be raised and lowered for comfort. After admiring it for a while, she continued looking around but kept looking back at that one.

"Like that one, do you love?" he asked as he drew her close.

"It's beautiful. It's just like what I imagined for a baby's room," replied Bella.

"Well then, let's buy it."

Bella shook her head. "No, not yet. We've only just started looking and I might see something I like even better." She doubted she would, but wanted to be sure.

"Okay, love," he replied, kissing her temple. "Hey, come check out this playpen. It's awesome."

Bella could only giggle as he dragged her away to see yet another baby item.

After getting everything they needed for Alice and having lunch, they headed back to Forks in the late afternoon.

"You really enjoyed that, didn't you," smiled Bella as she stroked his cheek.

"Oh yeah, that was so much fun. I didn't know there was so much stuff available. I mean, we don't see the babies once they leave the hospital and we didn't have any babies around growing up, so it's like a whole new world. I'm warning you now, I'm probably going to get one of everything," he grinned at her.

Laughing, Bella shook her head. "And just where are we going to put it all? My apartment isn't that big."

"We'll have to make sure the house we build has enough room for all the toys and stuff."

"Edward Cullen! You are not going to spoil this child rotten," warned Bella with a stern voice.

"Awww, you're no fun!" He gave her an adorable hang-dog look.

Damn mit, she couldn't resist that look. "Well, maybe you can spoil him or her a little bit. I don't want an obnoxious brat."

He smiled widely and squeezed her leg. "Thanks Mom."

"You're impossible."

o-o-o-o-o-o

About a week after they returned to work, Bella was relaxing at home alone. Edward had been called back in to the hospital and Bella was catching up on a couple of her favourite programs when there was a knock on the door.

"Hey Jake! Come in," she greeted, opening the door.

"Hi Bella." He leaned down and kissed her cheek as he passed her. "Nice threads."

Bella laughed as she followed him into the lounge room. It was a warm night and she was wearing a pair of Edward's boxers as they stretched enough to fit comfortably around her waist. She'd pinched one of Edward's old uni t-shirts for herself. It was lovely and soft from numerous washes and best of all, it smelled like Edward.

"I'm in dire need of some bigger clothing," laughed Bella.

"Wait until the end, you'll be huge! Edward will need a hoist to get you up."

Bella punched him in the arm before sitting down. "How's it going, Jake?"

Jake just shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, I guess. Where's Edward?"

"He got called in to the hospital."

Jake just nodded and didn't say anything. Bella couldn't help noticing that he looked slightly nervous.

"Is there something wrong?"

"N...no. Why would there be something wrong?" denied Jake. "Can't I just want to see my best friend?"

"Of course you can. You just seem nervous."

Jake shifted in his seat, sighed, and looked at Bella. "Okay, there is something I wanted to talk to you about," he admitted.

"What it is? It's not about Charlie, is it?"

"No, nothing like that. Um...ah...I. God, this is embarrassing," he huffed.

"Jake, you can tell me anything. You know that," reassured Bella, rubbing his shoulder.

"I wanted to ask you about Victoria," he said in a rush of words. Bella thought she could see a faint blush creep over his tanned skin.

"Victoria? What do you want to know?"

Jake leaned back in the seat and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I don't know. Whatever you can tell me."

"Do you like her? I saw you were really enjoying yourself with her at the wedding."

"Yeah, I do like her. She's gorgeous. I really enjoyed dancing with her but I didn't really get much of chance to talk properly to her. I'd like to get to know her better but I don't want to make a fool of myself." Jake looked at her. "Should I take a chance?"

"Is this just a physical thing?"

Jake shook his head. "No. Well, yes, I am attracted to her. I think she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. She's like one of those porcelain dolls. But that's not all. I felt this connection as soon as we spoke. I haven't felt like that before and it freaked me out a bit. That's why it's taken so long to speak to you about her. You know her and I need to know what you think."

Bella was feeling mixed emotions. On one hand, she was glad that Jake was taking an interest in someone. On the other, she worried that he was interested in someone who'd had such a hard time in the past. Victoria was bound to have a huge amount of baggage from her past and Jake would need to be strong to overcome them. He also had to contend with the fact that she had a baby and that they came as a package.

"Jake, I'll be honest with you. Victoria has had an extremely hard life. You know some of it, but it's up to her to tell you whole story. She's had to deal with a lot and she's bound to have issues because of it. I'm not trying to put you off, but you need to know that you would have to deal with that. Despite that, she's a lovely girl and a wonderful mother and if you are strong enough to help her work through her demons, I think you two would make a great couple. Does the fact she has a baby bother you?"

He shook his head. "No, not at all. He's a cute little thing. I know the father was the dirtbag who threatened you. He sounds like a complete monster."

"He was. He's no loss to the world and she's well rid of him but she suffered greatly at his hands. I don't know how easy it would be for her to trust a man after that. You would have your work cut out for you."

"Yeah, I figured that. But there's something about her that I just can't get her off my mind. Maybe if she got to know me she'd see I'm a good guy."

Bella took his hand. "You are, Jake. You're a great guy. She couldn't do better than you but you would have to show her that."

"So, what should I do? Should I ask her out?" asked Jake.

She thought a few moments. "I think you'll have to tread really lightly here. Patience will probably be your greatest tool. Why don't you come with me to Esme's house? You can talk to her in her environment and she'll feel more comfortable. You can see if there's any interest on her part."

Jake nodded his head. "Sounds like a good idea. When can we go?" he asked eagerly.

"I'll let you know. I'll give Esme a head's up." She looked steadily at Jake for a few moments. "Jake, before we do that, I need to know how serious you are about this. This can't be another fling or diversion for you. Victoria's been hurt enough. I'd be really mad at you if you hurt her as well."

"I don't want to hurt her. This is different to anything I've experienced before. I know I'll have to go slowly and hope she'll let me be what she needs. I want what you have with Edward. I thought I'd have to leave Forks to find someone but then I saw her. I'm tired of being alone, Bella." Jake's face was so earnest, Bella knew he was deadly serious.

She put her arms around him and hugged him. "I know you are, Jake. I've been worried about you. I really hope this works out for you. You deserve to be happy."

Promising to speak to Esme, Bella waved Jake off before heading to bed. Edward hadn't returned home yet but she was tired and she soon fell asleep.

Later that night, she felt the bed move as Edward climbed into bed, trying not to wake her.

Turning around she snuggled up to him and kissed his shoulder sleepily. "Hi," she greeted huskily as his arms wrapped around her and he kissed her lips gently.

"Hi baby. Sorry I woke you."

"'S'okay. Love you."

"Love you too. Go back to sleep, love," he urged, slowly rubbing her back. Within minutes, they were both asleep.

o-o-o-o-o-o

On Edward's advice, Bella decided to speak to Esme first in order to get her thoughts. She knew Victoria better than anyone. When Bella told Edward about Jake's visit, he'd crowed in victory.

"I knew it! I knew he was into her at the wedding," he'd exclaimed.

Bella had glared at him. "Edward! This is a not a laughing matter. He really likes her but I don't know if she's ready for another relationship. I'd hate to see either of them hurt."

"Sorry love. It's just that he had that look that I'm sure I had when we first met. I hope it works out."

She was now on the phone with Esme and had explained what was going on.

"Why don't you invite him to come with you when you come for our Sunday family lunch? Alice is coming as she's feeling much better now. It'll give him a chance to just talk with her, without any pressure."

"That's a great idea, Esme," agreed Bella.

When Bella asked Jake if he wanted to go to the Cullen's family lunch, he agreed eagerly. They arranged for Jake to travel to Esme's with them and Edward kept smirking as he watched a visibly nervous Jake in the back seat of the Volvo.

"Relax Jake," urged Edward. "You'll scare her off if you keep looking so tense. She'll think you don't want to be there."

"I know. I know. I just feel like a kid going on his first date, or something," replied Jake.

"You'll be fine," reassured Bella. "Just be yourself and she'll see you're worth taking a chance on."

As it turned out, the lunch went really well. Esme worked it so that Jake sat next to Victoria during lunch and they struck up an easy conversation. Bella had noticed that Victoria had looked slightly flustered when they first arrived and had greeted Jake but had relaxed over the meal.

After lunch, Victoria excused herself to feed Robbie. Afterwards, she came back with him and Jake made a fuss of the baby, even holding him in his lap. Esme smiled indulgently at the two of them, having a good feeling about this.

Alice quickly caught on to what was going on, her matchmaking radar set on high. She made sure they were thrust together as much as possible and making little remarks extolling some virtue about each of them.

Bella followed Alice into the kitchen when she went in to warm up Alyssa's bottle. "You're not being very subtle, Al."

"I know. Jake's going to have a hard road, I'm just trying to lay some paving stones to help him out."

"Just don't scare Victoria off. He's serious about this."

"So he should be. He'd have to deal with the whole family if he wasn't," she replied nonchalantly. "But I have a good feeling."

When they left, Esme made sure to let Jake know he was welcome to visit anytime. Jake kissed all the women goodbye on the cheek, and Bella noticed the tell-tale flush on Victoria's cheeks when it was her turn.

"Yep," said Jake dreamily as they drove back home. "I think this could be something special."

Edward and Bella just looked at each other and smiled.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Bella was standing at the kitchen counter cutting up potatoes for their evening meal when the baby kicked. She was now nearly halfway into her pregnancy and felt the baby kick regularly but Edward still hadn't been able to feel anything, much to his disappointment. This time though, she physically felt her stomach move against the wood. Gasping in surprise, she dropped the knife and placed her hands on her stomach, willing the baby to move again.

"Come on, sweetheart. Kick Mommy again," she breathed slowly.

As if the baby was listening, it kicked again and this time Bella felt the movement against her hands quite clearly.

"Edward! Edward! Quick, come here!"

Edward was reading a medical journal when Bella cried out and he literally threw it across the room in panic.

"Bella! What's wrong?" he asked breathlessly as raced into the kitchen, all sorts of awful scenarios in his head. "Baby, what's the matter?" He stopped as he saw Bella standing there with a huge grin on her face.

"Edward, quick, put your hand here," she urged, taking his hand and putting it against where she could feel the baby.

As if on cue, the baby moved and gave a strong kick. Bella looked at Edward's face and saw the ecstatic grin slowly appear on his face as the realisation of what he was feeling took hold.

"Oh my God!" he whispered. "I can feel him," he said in wonder.

"Him? How do you know it's not a 'her'?"

"I just have a feeling about it," he replied as he pressed his hands against her stomach, wanting to feel his baby move again. "Hey baby, what are you doing in there?" he asked.

Bella giggled. "You don't expect an answer, I hope?"

Taking her hand he led her back to the lounge. "I have to finish dinner," protested Bella half-heartedly.

"That can wait. I need to talk to my child."

He helped Bella lie down and then lay next to her, lifting up her top and placing his cheek against her stomach as he stroked her skin with his hand and waited for another movement.

He didn't have long to wait. He felt several taps against his cheek before he turned and kissed the spot. "He's having a party in there tonight, isn't he?"

"Feels like it," replied Bella with a smile as she threaded her fingers through his hair.

"Does it hurt?"

"No. It just feels funny. It really hits me that I have a little person inside me when it moves."

"Our baby," he breathed, kissing her skin again. "I love you both so much."

"We love you too, my love."

Edward moved up and took her in his arms, kissing her deeply. "Do you know how beautiful you are?" he whispered, his fingers tangling in her long hair. "You're so soft and warm. Seeing and now feeling our baby growing inside you makes you so damned sexy in my eyes. You were beautiful before but now you're spectacular. You glow and you're the essence of femininity, all rounded and soft. You're so desirable it drives me insane."

His last sentence was punctuated by kisses as their breathing became more laboured. Their hands began wandering and Edward didn't take long to have his hand on her breast, stroking her. "God, I want you, baby."

"What about…dinner?" she gasped as he rolled her nipple in his fingers.

"It can wait. I can't," he murmured into her throat.

Bella couldn't help but agree and soon only the sounds of their gasps and moans were heard in the room. Bella straddled him and they both moaned as she took him into her body and began rocking faster and faster.

"Yes!" he hissed as his hands on her hips helped her move. With her larger stomach, this position was more comfortable for her now and Edward only got more turned as he watched her glorious body move above him, her heavy breasts bouncing gently with her movements as he filled her completely.

It didn't take long for Bella to cry out with pleasure and slump down on his chest as she shuddered through her orgasm. Her climax triggered his and he moaned loudly as he came inside her.

They both lay together panting as their bodies cooled down. With her belly pressed against his, he instantly felt the bump against his skin.

"Oops!" he grinned. "I think we woke him up."

"Mmm hmm," she agreed drowsily. "I'd better finish dinner or we'll be eating at 10 tonight."

"I'll do it, love. You relax and look after the little one." With a kisskiss, he got up and collected their clothes.

"You're too good to me," she smiled as she dressed.

He leant down and gave her another kiss. "Nothing's too good for you," he declared before going to finish dinner.

Bella just shook her head and wondered once again, how she got so lucky.

It was a thought she was to have again several weeks later when a particularly sad case presented itself at the hospital and hit too close to home.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**A/N: I think the next chapter might bring a special delivery!**

**Let me know what you thought.**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Hello again. Thanks so much for your lovely words of encouragement - you are all fantastic. **

**I'm feeling better this week so I managed to get this out more quickly. It seems like I hit my 40's and everything starts falling apart!**

**WARNING: This chapter contains scenes of a stillbirth (not Bella's) and as such could be distressing to some readers. I've tried to write it as sensitively as possible but it could upset readers who may have personal experience of this type of tragedy. It starts around the middle of the chapter - I've marked the beginning and end - if you want to skip it altogether.**

**For some reason, FF isn't keeping my chapter breaks - oh well.**

* * *

Chapter 31

Bella felt like her pregnancy was flying by. She reached the stage where only the stretchiest of her clothes still fit. Alice had declared that it was way past time for a shopping trip to buy maternity clothes and had shanghaied Bella one day when she wasn't working and dragged her around the shops helping her pick out maternity wear. Alice being Alice, was determined that just because Bella was pregnant, that was no excuse to dress like a frump. She had managed to find pants and tops that made the most of her baby bump as well a few dressier items. She even managed to find sexy lingerie.

"Alice, even the sexiest underwear won't stop me looking like a blimp," complained Bella as Alice urged her to try them on.

"Well, better to be a sexy blimp than a plain, boring blimp," reasoned Alice as she pushed her into the change room.

By the end of the trip, Bella was seriously wondering if there would be enough time left to wear all the stuff Alice had persuaded her to buy.

Edward had whole-heartedly approved of the lingerie and Bella reminded herself to thank Alice when she saw her next.

Little Alyssa was now three months old and was an angelic little beauty. As Alice predicted, she inherited her father's blue eyes and teamed with her wispy black hair, was a truly beautiful baby. She had her parents, especially Jasper, totally wrapped around her tiny little finger. Jasper was totally in love with his daughter and loved nothing more than taking her for walks in her pram, proudly accepting the compliments his baby garnered. As Bella predicted, she was probably the best dressed baby on the Peninsula. Alice had shown her Alyssa's wardrobe and Bella had been stunned at the amount of clothes in it.

"If you have a girl, guess who'll I'll be handing these down to," declared Alice.

The previous weeks had also seen the preparations for building their house begin. Through Esme's contacts, they had met with an architect to discuss their ideas for it. Bella wanted a traditional looking house that would fit in with its surroundings. The three of them had taken a trip out to the home site and the architect, Henry, had taken ideas from the natural beauty of the land. Bella was really pleased that Henry seemed to understand what they wanted and he promised to have some ideas for them to look at in a couple of weeks.

Bella loved all his designs but she and Edward had decided on a beautiful design that looked like it could have been there for decades but incorporated various environmentally friendly features. It looked like a traditional clapboard, double story house, with big, wide verandahs and windows to catch the sun and make the most of the stunning views. Henry had added unobtrusive solar panels for heating and the latest technologies for power saving and recycling. Bella wanted to do their little bit to help the environment her child would inherit one day.

Henry had drawn up the plans and they were now awaiting building approvals. In the meantime, Henry was sourcing building contractors to commence the actual work once everything was ready to go. Bella and Edward often went to the property and imagined what the house would look like once it was finished. Bella's favourite room was definitely going to be the kitchen. The room would be able to hold a large dining table for informal dinners and Bella intended it to be the heart of the home. And Edward was definitely having his piano in the house, for the first time in many years. The house would have four large bedrooms as well as a study for Edward. It would take months to build and Bella couldn't wait.

In the meantime, they began to get things ready for the baby while Bella was still able to move around comfortably. In their free time they had cleared out the spare room and had spent a weekend painting the room in a light lemon colour. They had an argument when Edward walked back into the room and found Bella climbing the ladder to paint the cornice.

"_What the hell do you think you're doing_?" he'd roared, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her down.

"Edward! What does it look like I'm doing?" she'd replied angrily.

"You shouldn't be climbing ladders in your condition."

"My condition! I'm pregnant, not disabled!"

"Yes, _pregnant_! You could easily lose your footing and fall off. Your centre of balance is off and you could hurt yourself or the baby," he growled, scowling. "It was a stupid thing to do. I was going to paint it."

"Oh, so now I'm stupid?" she asked snidely. "Obviously my baby brain is affecting my decisions now." Bella knew she was being unreasonable, but she couldn't help it. Hormones probably.

Edward sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you. You scared me, okay? It's not safe for you to climb ladders. I couldn't stand it if something happened to you or the baby."

Looking at his face, Bella suddenly felt awful. Of course he was only looking out for her. Edward couldn't help his protective streak; it was part of him. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him, smiling as his arms closed around her. "I'm sorry too. You're right. It was a silly thing to do. I just forget sometimes that I need to do things differently for a while. I'm sorry I scared you."

Edward leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss. "I know I'm overprotective and a pain in the ass at times, but you mean everything to me and I honestly don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

"I love you. I promise I'll be more careful."

"I love you too." He kissed her again, gently rubbing her stomach. "Come on, I'll get up and do the cornices. You concentrate on the skirting boards. But be careful of your back. I don't want it aching from the strain." Bella rolled her eyes as she stepped back. He just couldn't help himself.

They did eventually finish the painting that weekend and then concentrated on filling it. Over the next few weeks, they looked around for baby furniture, even taking a trip into Seattle. As Bella suspected, no other cot took her fancy like the first one she saw in Port Angeles. In the end, they purchased that one, as well as matching furniture, like the change table and chest of drawers. Alice had told her not to get smaller items like a baby bath yet because she was planning a baby shower and she could end up receiving what she needed.

Slowly, the room started to fill with baby things. When she and Edward found a pram they both liked, they got Alice and Victoria's opinions on it. Being experienced now, they were able to check that the pram was practical, not just decorative. They encouraged Bella to open and close it, preferably with one hand to see how easy it was.

"You'll find yourself with only one free hand a lot of the time, so you have to be able to open and close it single handed as you might not have help around," advised Victoria.

"Check how heavy it is," suggested Alice. "You don't want to wreck your back lifting it in and out of the car."

"Is it practical as the baby grows? And check it has proper harnesses. Does it have suspension?"

"What about accessories and attachments? You'll need a rain cover. And storage. You take half the house with you when you go out, so you want decent storage."

Their help was invaluable and they agreed the pram met all their requirements. Edward had to give it a test drive and the women couldn't help laughing as he wheeled it around the store, pretending to critique it. Now, it sat proudly in the baby's room, awaiting an occupant.

Jacob had become a regular fixture at Esme's house and everyone was pleased to see the growing friendship between he and Victoria. As Bella had predicted, Victoria had been wary of any romantic overtures and Jake had been smart enough to simply offer his friendship, if that was all she was ready for.

Unsure of what she wanted, Victoria had spoken to Bella about the type of person Jake was. Victoria was terrified of trusting another man and having him turn out to be another James. She had to think about Robbie now, he was her number one priority. Sympathising with Victoria's fears, Bella had tried to reassure her that Jake would never dream of hurting a woman.

"Jake is a really great guy. He's sweet, kind, funny. He's a hard worker too. He's single-handedly built his business and he currently expanding because he's been so successful."

"He's very handsome," said Victoria, blushing.

Bella smiled. "Yes, he is. He turns heads, but he's not conceited about it."

Victoria looked at Bella curiously. "Where you ever attracted to him?"

"I've always known he's gorgeous but we've been friends for so long that I really can't see him as any more than a brother. To be completely honest, we did try a relationship, mainly because we were both lonely, but it just didn't feel right."

"Really? You and Jake?"

Bella blushed this time. "Yes, but it was a terribly long time ago and it was only for a week or so. We both knew it was a mistake. I love Jake, he's an important part of my life and I really want to see him happy."

Victoria bit her lip and frowned. "I…I…don't know if I can be what he needs. I want what you and Alice, and Esme, have. I really do, but I'm scared."

Taking her hands, Bella lightly squeezed. "It's alright to be scared. After what you've been through, it's understandable. But please know that Jake won't ever push for more than you're ready for. Why don't you just get to know each other, without any pressure? He's a great friend. We can't have too many friends, can we?" Victoria shook her head. "And I can promise that if Jake did something stupid, we'd all kick his butt."

Victoria laughed. "You're right. There's no rush is there? I could do with a friend."

To Jake's credit, that was exactly what he became to Victoria. Her friend. He teased her, made her laugh, told her stories about the Quileute people, even introduced her to his friends. Little Robbie would shake with excitement when he saw Jake, squealing with delight when Jake played aeroplane with him. Jake came to love the little boy and soon looked forward to seeing him as much as Victoria. Everyone else was careful not to push; letting the two of them set their own pace. Bella felt deep inside that these two were made for each other, even if Victoria needed time to realise it.

Now entering her third trimester, Bella was beginning to feel like a blimp. It was taking longer to get out of chairs, Edward automatically reaching out to help her up now whenever he was with her. At first Bella had swatted his hand away but now gratefully accepted the help.

They had been relaxing at home, Bella leaning back against Edward, his hand absently rubbing her belly when an commercial for vanilla choc-chip ice-cream came on . As Bella watched it, she could literally feel her mouth start watering. She tried to ignore it but couldn't get the thought of a big bowl of ice-cream out of her head.

"Edward?"

"Yes, love?"

"You know what I really, really, really want right now?"

Edward grinned slowly. "Right now? You want to go to bed right now?"

Bella couldn't help laughing. "No, that's not what I want."

Edward's expression fell slightly. "Oh. What is it then?"

"I want some vanilla choc-chip ice cream really badly. I can't stop thinking about it."

Throwing his head back, Edward burst out laughing. "Way to cut a man's ego down to size! I think she wants my body but she really wants ice cream."

"I do want you, but I want ice cream more at the moment."

"Okay, love. I'll go and get you some." Bending down he kissed her stomach. "See what I do for your mommy?" he said to her bump.

"Thank you. You're the best," she said, hugging him. "After I satisfy this craving, I might crave something else after," she smiled suggestively.

Edward's eyes lit up and he hurried out to pick up a carton of ice cream. When he returned, Bella almost ripped the ice cream out of his hands. Her mouth watered as she filled a bowl and she almost felt orgasmic as the first spoon entered her mouth.

"Mmmm!" she moaned in ecstasy as she swallowed the first bite.

Edward watched her in amazement, feeling his pants tighten at the sounds she's was making. If you didn't know what was going on, a person would swear she was in the throes of passion. Bella finished that bowl and opened the fridge to get some more and stopped as she looked inside. She bent down and picked up a carrot, refilled her bowl and proceeded to dip the carrot in the ice cream. Edward's eyes widened at the sight.

"That is gross," he remarked.

"No…its…yummy," she replied between mouthfuls. "Want some?"

He shook his head. "No thanks. You can enjoy that treat all by yourself."

After that night, Bella made sure there was always vanilla choc-chip ice cream and carrots in the apartment, much to Edward's disgust.

o-o-o-o-o-o

**Warning: The following could distress some readers**

To Edward's relief, Bella was taken off night shifts at the hospital. She struggled to keep her eyes open after 10pm as it was, so she doubted she'd have the stamina to work all night and was extremely grateful to her supervisor.

Every case she saw now took on a special meaning as she could now truly empathise with how the expectant mothers were feeling. She often found herself in conversations about baby names while taking blood pressures and examinations. She and Edward hadn't yet completely decided on names yet. They had narrowed their list down to their favourites but no firm decision had been reached.

It was a Wednesday morning and the ward was relatively quiet. There were no caesareans scheduled today so Edward was in his office catching up on paperwork, while Bella took the opportunity to stay off her feet as much as possible. She had eleven weeks to go to her due date and was planning to go on maternity leave three weeks before that if she could manage it.

She was just writing up some ward notes when one of her patients came in unexpectedly, accompanied by her husband. Bella recognised Elizabeth Hollington from several check-ups. She had a young son and she was eagerly awaiting the birth of this baby, a girl. She had seven weeks to go and Bella remembered seeing her the week before. She frowned as she wondered what brought the Hollington's in now, knowing Elizabeth was booked in for her next appointment next week.

"Liz! What brings you here?" asked Bella, getting up a little awkwardly. She could see that Liz was somewhat pale, with a worried expression on her face. "Is there something wrong?"

Liz gripped her husband, Michael's, hand tightly. "Hi Bella. It's probably nothing, but I'm a bit worried about the baby."

Bella could see she was more than worried. "Okay. Let's go into one of the clinic rooms and you can tell me what's got you worried. I can then get Edward to check you out."

Leading them to one of the empty clinic rooms, she urged the Hollington's to sit down while she grabbed Liz's medical records. Thumbing through the notes as she walked back, she saw that everything was going normally last week.

"Okay, now what's troubling you?" she asked gently.

Liz rubbed her large stomach. "Well, I may be panicking needlessly but I'm concerned that I haven't felt the baby move for hours."

"Do you remember the last time you felt movement?"

"Last night, I think. I believe I felt a kick around 11pm but since then, nothing. She's been very active, rarely going longer than a couple of hours but now it's been nearly twelve hours since I felt anything." Bella could see the fear in their eyes and could feel herself tense at the implications. "Is there something wrong? Am I over-reacting?"

Bella shook her head. "There's no such thing as over-reacting. You're worried so we need to have a look and find out what's going on. If you'll excuse me, I'm just going to fetch Dr Cullen and get him to check you out." She hurried out of the room, dread filling her.

A baby that was usually active suddenly stopping its movements was very worrying. It could mean a problem with the placenta or umbilical cord, necessitating an urgent delivery or it could mean something Bella didn't want to contemplate. Please let it be something simple, prayed Bella as she walked to Edward's office.

"Hi love," he smiled as he looked up from his desk. "What's up?"

"Edward, Elizabeth Hollington has just come in. She's really worried because she hasn't felt the baby move in almost twelve hours."

Frowning, Edward got up and led her towards the door. "Twelve hours? That's a long time. I checked her last week and everything was normal. Her blood pressure was fine. Did she say the baby is normally active?"

"Yes, apparently rarely goes without moving for more than a couple hours."

Edward's frown got even deeper with that information. His mind was racing with all the possible reasons for the lack of foetal movement. The worst possible scenario was that the baby had died in utero. Only an ultrasound would give him a definitive answer.

The couple were sitting close together, Michael's arm around his wife's shoulders as she lay her head on his. Edward could see the fear in their eyes and he hoped with everything in him that the worst wouldn't eventuate.

"Good morning Liz. And it's Michael, isn't it?" he asked as he shook Michael's hand. "Bella tells me that you're concerned because you haven't felt the baby move for around twelve hours. Is that correct?"

Liz nodded. "Yes Dr Cullen. It's been so active until now and I just know there's something wrong." Her eyes filled with tears as she gripped her husband's hand.

"I'll just get you to lie down and I'll have a listen to the baby's heartbeat."

Bella helped Liz onto the bed and lifted her top as Edward placed the Doppler on her extended stomach. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as Edward moved it around Liz's stomach in an effort to pick up a heartbeat. The seconds ticked by and there was still no sound. Bella looked at Edward and could see the dawning truth in his eyes as nearly a minute had passed. Unbidden, she placed her hand on her own stomach, as if she needed reassurance of her own.

By now, tears were dripping down Liz's face as the awful truth was becoming clear. "She's dead, isn't she?" whispered Liz brokenly.

Edward sighed deeply as he switched off the monitor, feeling a sense of despair for both of them. "I'm going to do an ultrasound to be absolutely sure, but I'm afraid that it's looking that way," he replied gently, placing a hand on Liz's shoulder.

A deep anguished sob tore from Liz's chest as the reality that their longed for little girl would never grow up sunk in. Michael leaned down and took his wife in his arms as they cried together.

With a heavy heart, her own eyes moist, Bella helped Edward set up the ultrasound. She could see the sadness in his eyes as he looked down at her own stomach. Both of them were trying not to imagine if the situation were reversed.

Warming up the gel, she gently spread it over Liz's stomach as Edward got the monitor ready. When he began, all four eyes were glued to the monitor as if by their will alone, they would be able to see the baby's heart beating. Edward concentrated on the area around the baby's heart but, as they all expected, the baby was absolutely still. There was no sign of life visible to any of them.

Bella's heart broke for Liz and Michael. To lose their baby so close its due date was tragic. Liz quietly sobbed as Bella cleaned her up.

"I'm so sorry Liz," said Bella sadly, stroking Liz's hair. "I wish with all my heart that it could have been a different answer."

"I knew," whispered Liz, her voice shuddering with her despair. "I knew. When she didn't move, I just knew."

"Why did this happen?" asked Michael brokenly. "She was fine last week. How could she have died so suddenly?"

"We won't know until she's born. There could be a number of reasons," replied Edward, his own voice slightly hoarse.

"We'll leave you alone for a little while," said Edward, his hand on Michael's shoulder, trying to offer some sort of comfort.

"What happens now?" asked Michael, tears running freely down his cheeks.

"We have to induce labour soon. We'll try to make it as painless as possible," promised Edward.

"Afterwards, you can stay with your little girl as long as you need," said Bella gently.

Both of them nodded, too distraught to speak. Bella and Edward left them to their grief and went back to Edward's office. Once inside, Bella couldn't keep it inside any more. She burst into tears as she cradled her stomach. Edward took her in his arms and gently rocked her. This was so close to home, they were both greatly affected.

Bella straightened up, trying to pull herself together. It wasn't over yet. Poor Liz still had to go through labour and deliver her stillborn baby. It was tragic but it had to be done. "I'm okay. I'm just so sad for them but I have to be strong while she's in labour."

"Baby, why don't you sit this one out?" suggested Edward, rubbing her back in comfort. "I can see how this has upset you. It's understandable. I've seen stillborns before and I can honestly say I've never felt this awful before. It cuts to the heart, with our own little one on the way." He rubbed her stomach, willing his child to move, needing it to move. "Why don't I get one of the others to assist me?"

Shaking her head, Bella replied. "No, I want to be there for Liz. I'll be okay. I just have to separate my own situation from this. It's not our baby. I have to remember that."

"Please baby. It'll be too painful for you," pleaded Edward.

"And it won't be for you?" countered Bella sadly. "This whole thing is tragic but no one can be hurting more than Liz and Michael. They need us. I have to do this."

Edward hugged her tightly. "I love you, baby. Promise me that if it becomes too difficult for you, you'll let me get someone else. Promise me."

Bella nodded. "I promise."

He sighed as he mentally prepared himself for the worst. There were few things more tragic than a stillbirth. There was no joy at the end, only grief for the parents. He needed to make sure he made things as easy for them as possible, try not to add to their grief. "I'd better get things set up."

"Yes," she replied as she stepped back. They needed to get the anaesthetist up here to give Liz an epidural. Unless she specifically declined it, they saw no need for Liz to endure the pain of childbirth. She had enough to deal with. The induction would speed the process up so that hopefully she wouldn't labour for too long.

As Bella helped get things ready, she felt like she had something heavy pressing against her chest. It was hard not to imagine that she was the one giving birth to a dead baby and the weight got heavier with those thoughts. She pushed them aside as much as possible, her hands touching her stomach at every opportunity, as if seeking reassurance.

Sue came into the delivery room as Bella set up the drip. "You okay, Bella?"

"I'm fine Sue," she replied.

"Are you sure, honey? I can imagine how difficult this will be for you. And Edward. I'm happy to take over. Well, not happy. You know what I mean," said Sue nervously.

"I know what you mean," replied Bella with a smile. "And thanks for the offer. I promised Edward if it got too difficult, I'd leave. So stand by just in case."

"Will do." The two women hugged each other.

The next few hours were amongst the most heartbreaking that Bella could ever remember. She had nothing but the deepest admiration for Liz. She gratefully accepted the epidural and she laboured quietly and stoically. She asked for some music which Bella readily put on and they generally left the couple alone, going in regularly to check on her progress. Michael had contacted their families and they were now in the waiting room. The nurses had arranged for sandwiches to be brought for them, wanting to offer their support in any way they could.

The news had spread through the staff quickly about the stillbirth and there was a general air of sadness throughout the unit. Stillbirths weren't a regular occurrence for the staff here and everyone was feeling it

Just over four hours later, Liz was fully dilated enough to give birth. Bella wondered how she found the strength to push, knowing there wasn't going to be the normal joy of welcoming your child. A couple of times, the weight on Bella's chest felt so heavy, she had to leave the room in order to compose herself, Edward's eyes watching her with concern.

Finally, Edward gently guided the baby out, her limp, lifeless body perfectly formed. Bella felt the tears fall as she emitted no cry, her tiny limbs didn't flail, her skin faintly tinged with blue. Edward noted that the cord was very tightly wrapped around her upper body and he suspected that this was what had caused her death.

With the greatest respect, Bella gently cleaned the tiny girl, her own eyes blurred and her cheeks wet and wrapped her in a pink blanket. To look at her, one would think she was simply asleep, her angelic face peaceful.

In the meantime, Edward had delivered the placenta and cleaned Liz up. He and Michael helped her sit up against the pillows and Bella gently placed the baby in her arms. Liz's sobs were heart wrenching as she rocked her baby back and forth and kissed her cold skin.

"My little Jennifer. My angel. Mommy will always love you," she whispered through her sobs. Michael leaned down and kissed his daughter.

"I'm so, so sorry this had to happen," said Edward, struggling to hold himself together. "We'll leave you alone. Please, take all the time you need. If you want anything, please press the buzzer and someone will come."

"Thank you, Doctor Cullen. And you Bella," said Michael. "For your care and understanding. I know this must have been difficult for you," he said, looking at Bella's stomach, more tears running down his face as he mourned the loss of the family they had looked forward to.

Bella and Edward left the room and he gently guided her to his office, making her sit down as she put her face in her hands and finally let go. Her sobs wracked her body and all Edward could do was hold her, whispering how much he loved her. Eventually her tears stopped but Bella felt drained, not an ounce of energy left.

"I'm taking you home, love," he said, helping to her feet. Bella was too drained to protest as he took her home and led her to their bed, helping her undress and getting her settled. He brushed her hair back tenderly and kissed her. "I'll be home as soon as I can. Get some sleep, love. Take care of our little one."

Bella nodded as a stray tear slipped out. With a soft kiss on her temple, Edward left for the hospital to deal with the aftermath. He called Christine, the counsellor to meet him in his office so she could assist the family if required.

Laying in her bed, she wrapped her hands around her stomach and willed her baby to move. To her immense relief, the baby gave a strong kick. As much as she didn't want to, she knew she had to be careful not to become paranoid whenever the baby didn't move. All her training told her that stillbirths aren't that common but today's events had Bella thinking like a scared mother, not a trained midwife.

She thought of the Hollington's and her heart broke for them all over again. Instead of taking their little girl home, they would be preparing for her funeral. Her older brother had lost his little sister; her grandparents, their grandchild. It would affect their family for a long time. Finally after what seemed like hours, she fell asleep.

***End***

o-o-o-o-o-o

Edward was worried about Bella. It had been a week since that awful day and she had not been the same since. She seemed to withdraw into herself, as if trying to protect herself and her baby from the world. That she was even withdrawing from Edward was killing him.

When he'd gotten home after filling out the numerous paperwork required for the authorities, he found her fast asleep, her cheeks stained from the tears she'd shed. He wished he'd somehow forced her not to take part in the birth, but he'd respected her decision to remain. She was experienced enough to be able to separate her own circumstances from her patient's. That's what he had believed anyway. He hadn't imagined that it would affect her to this degree.

He knew that she had put herself in Liz Hollington's place and was terrified of the same thing happening to their baby. Hell, he'd been more affected than ever before. It was impossible not to be. And yes, the horrendous thought of their baby dying crossed his mind more than once during the birth, but he forced himself to push it away.

Of course he realised that Bella was bonded to their baby in a way that a man would never understand. How could it be the same for him? He didn't feel it moving around inside him, he didn't nurture it, it wasn't dependant on him for its very existence. Until it was born, he could only experience it second hand, through Bella.

He'd held her close that night, gentling her when she seemed to be in the throes of a nightmare even though she didn't wake up. The next morning she was heavy eyed and quiet and Edward had persuaded her to stay at home. Normally she would have protested but that day she simply agreed and went back to bed, Edward frowning behind her.

She went back to work the next day and Edward could see that she was putting on a mask for everyone. Back home, she returned to her quiet, withdrawn self, stroking her stomach. Edward couldn't help feeling hurt that she was shutting him out. He tried to get her to tell him what was worrying her but she would deny there was anything wrong.

They hadn't made love since that day and Edward missed the closeness and intimacy that being together gave them. It wasn't the sex, it was that feeling that they were the only two people in the world and all they needed was each other. Now he felt like she was in a self-imposed bubble and he just couldn't break through to reach her.

"No! No! No!" she moaned in agony, waking him up. Another nightmare. She'd had them every night for the last week.

"Bella! Shh!" he soothed, trying to wake her slowly.

"No! Please don't!" she cried, tears falling down her face as she reached for something he couldn't see. "Don't do this! _Please_!" she sobbed.

"Bella! Baby! Please wake up. You're dreaming." Shaking her now, he had to get her out of this self-induced terror. "Baby!"

Finally, his voice seemed to penetrate the fog and she opened her blood shot eyes. "Edward!" she sobbed, gripping him tightly.

"Oh baby. It's alright, I'm here," he soothed, rubbing her back and arms.

"Oh Edward. What if it dies? What if we lost it?" she sobbed into his throat, finally letting some of the ice that seemed to surround her for the past week, melt.

He kissed her hair and let her cried it out. "It won't, baby. It won't."

Gradually her tears subsided and she lay against him in the dark, needing his solid presence around her. She knew she'd shut him out, hated herself for doing it but she couldn't seem to help it. She knew she'd been hurting him but the fear that gripped her was stronger than any other consideration.

"Tell me about your dream, baby. You need to talk about it. You need to talk about all of it. It's not good for you or the baby to bottle these feelings up like you have all week. Please baby."

Bella could hear the pain in his voice and felt awful. He didn't deserve this. How did she explain what she was feeling? She'd start with the dream.

"I keep having dreams that I lose our baby. It's not always the same way. Sometimes it dies. Other times it gets taken away from me. In another dream I literally lost it, no matter how much I looked. Tonight I dreamed that I had just given birth, it was still covered in fluid. Just as I was getting a good look at it, some faceless men walked in and literally ripped it out of my arms. The baby started crying but they kept walking away, taking it from me forever." Her voiced wobbled as her tears started again at the memory of the agony she'd felt in her dream.

"Oh my darling girl," murmured Edward. "I wish I could take your fears away. I would do anything, absolutely anything, to spare you pain."

"I know. I love you so much. I'm sorry I've hurt you."

"I know you didn't do it on purpose. It hurts me when you're hurting. I just wish I hadn't let you assist me."

Bella sighed as she remembered that day. "I honestly thought I would be able to deal with it. I've had to deal with other things. It's my job."

"You weren't pregnant those other times. This time you could put yourself in her shoes and feel her pain."

"That's it exactly. The whole time I was imagining it was me being told our baby died. I was imagining your face as the baby you never thought you would have died before we even had a chance to meet it. It was agony. And yet, I had to be strong for poor Liz, who was so brave." Bella shuddered as she remembered the sorrow on Liz and Michael's faces as they held their dead baby.

"Logically, I _know_ that the likelihood of that happening to us is miniscule. I know that. But then Liz never thought it would happen to her either. I'm scared."

Edward tilted her face to his and kissed her lips softly. "Fear isn't logical. I know you're scared. I'm scared too."

"Of losing the baby."

"Of losing you. As an obstetrician, I know all of the risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth. I know what could go wrong and all the ways I could lose you and it terrifies me. But I can't think like that or I would wrap you in cotton wool and never let you out. Or better still, I'd have you ensconced in hospital wired up to the eyeballs. I have to let it go and know, pray, that we'll be fine. You'll be fine. I would drive you absolutely insane if I let me fears run wild."

Bella squeezed him tightly. She hadn't realised he was afraid too, yet she should have been. She and the baby meant everything to Edward. He was scared but he didn't let his fear rule him for both their sakes. She had to do the same.

"I'm going to take control of this fear, Edward, I promise. You deserve nothing less. I deserve nothing less. I can't let this fear spoil this pregnancy for us."

Edward gently cupped her cheek. "You're an amazing woman. It's no wonder I adore you." Bella smiled at him. "Would like to speak to someone, a counsellor maybe? Talk through that day."

Bella thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea. I'm sure it would help. I don't want any more nightmares."

"Good, I think it'll be good for you. And I'm here for you, whenever you need me."

"I know you are."

"I missed you this week. Please don't shut me out, baby. I…I don't handle it very well," he pleaded softly.

Bella kissed him lovingly. "I'm sorry. I missed you too. I'm so lucky to have you."

"I'm the lucky one. Someone up there likes me, to bring me you."

In that moment, the baby gave a couple of very good kicks, easily felt by Edward, who smiled and rubbed her stomach. "See, he agrees with me."

Bella just pulled him to her for another kiss.

* * *

**A/N: That was upsetting to write but I wanted to explore how difficult it must be for medical staff to deal with these tragedies. I know many midwives are mothers themselves and it must really be hard to separate themselves from the situation. **

**I was originally going to include Bella's birth but this chapter seemed to take on a life of its own and I wouldn't do it justice. It's definitely coming next chapter though!**

**On Sunday, it's Mother's Day in Australia. I don't know if it's the same elsewhere, but even if it's not, I want to wish all the mum's out there a very happy Mother's Day! I think we do an amazing job, with little or no recognition or thanks as we try to raise children to become good and decent human beings, who we can be proud of.**

**Let me know what you thought of that chapter.**


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Thanks so much for your reviews last chapter. It was really touching to read how this type of tragedy has affected so many people. My heart goes out to anyone who's experienced the loss of a baby, at any stage.**

**On a much happier note, here's the chapter you've been waiting for. Now I spent chapter after chapter toing and froing trying decide what the sex would be. In the end I tossed a coin - literally. So if you don't like it, blame the coin!**

Chapter 32

Bella was fed up.

She was more than fed up. She was completely over it. Was this baby _ever_ going to be born?

She was five days over her due date and she just wanted to go into labour already. She was over having to go to the toilet every five minutes, it seemed, especially since the baby's head engaged a few weeks ago. She was over not being able to sleep properly because of aches and pains. Her rib was sore from the baby's well-placed kicks to it. She was over feeling like a baby beluga whale and not being able to see her feet. She was over people ringing her every day asking if she was in labour yet. She'd answered the phone, so the answer was pretty self-explanatory, she thought.

She was just just fed up.

Bella found herself snapping at Edward, then apologising. Edward would just let her be, not taking it personally. He gave her back rubs and massaged her aching feet. He was being a total sweetheart and Bella felt guilty for taking her bad moods out on him.

She went on maternity leave nearly four weeks ago and had done all the 'nesting' she could possibly do. She had washed every single item of baby clothing she had and sorted them out according to colour. Bella also cleaned every single inch of the apartment and now there was nothing left to do. And if she had to watch one more episode of 'Dr Phil' giving advice to some spoilt brat teenager and their over-indulgent parents, she'd scream.

Edward had made her pack her bag weeks ago and it sat near the front door, ready for the trip to hospital. Bella looked at it longingly wondering when she'd finally use it.

"Sweetheart, you can't stay in there forever, you know," she said to her huge stomach. "Daddy's anxious to meet you too. Come on baby, get a move on." Unfortunately, no amount of coaxing these past few days had worked and the baby was happily ensconced in her womb.

Luckily her late pregnancy had been trouble free, helping ease her fears. After the Hollington's tragedy, Bella had seen the hospital counsellor to 'debrief'. She'd insisted Edward go with her and talking about the experience and her fears had helped put everything in perspective. She was still afraid, but she managed to put it to the back of her mind and not let herself dwell on it. Her one concession to her fears was to buy herself a portable baby heartbeat monitor. It wasn't as powerful as the ones used in the hospital but listening to the baby's heartbeat when she was feeling anxious was a great help.

She had seen Bernard for her check-up a couple of days ago and he gave her a date that he would induce labour if she didn't go into labour before that. So there was an end in sight for her but Bella wanted to labour as naturally as possible so she hoped she wouldn't need to be induced.

Over the last few days, Bella had been trying all the old wives' tales that claimed to help induce labour. Edward simply shook his head and laughed when she asked him to take her for a drive along the bumpiest road they could find. It was more difficult and awkward now, but she had made love to Edward every day in the hope the hormones in his semen would do the trick. It hadn't but Edward was certainly enjoying trying it. People had suggested drinking castor oil, but even _she_ wasn't that desperate.

It was just before six in the morning and Bella felt the familiar urge to go to the bathroom. Edward was snoring softly behind her, his hand on her belly. With her bladder pretty well squashed by the baby, going to the bathroom took top priority nowadays, so she squirmed from under his hand and rushed to the toilet. Since she didn't think she stood much chance of getting back to sleep before Edward got up for work, Bella hopped in the shower.

There was only one week until winter began but the apartment was lovely and warm. It needed to be for the baby's sake. If the baby ever came out. There was no way Bella could get a towel around her girth so she simply dried off and walked back into the bedroom naked. She stood in front of the full length mirror and looked at her heavily pregnant body, and couldn't help grimacing.

Her breasts were full and heavy, laced with blue veins, with her nipples darkened and engorged, ready for feeding her baby. They lay on her extended stomach, which held all the hallmarks of pregnancy. Bella grimaced at the stretch marks that she'd tried valiantly to lessen by religiously rubbing cream on her skin. There was a dark line down the middle where her stomach muscles had separated and her skin was criss-crossed with veins.

"You're gorgeous, you know."

"Ugh, I'm like a whale," retorted Bella. "How can you possibly find me attractive?"

She heard the rustle of sheets as Edward left the bed. His arms encircled her, resting on her stomach, his chin on her shoulder. He looked at her in the mirror as he pressed himself against her, showing her exactly how much he desired her.

"Bella, you are the sexiest woman I've ever seen. Can't you feel how much I want you? You, like this, are the embodiment of a real woman. Do you know what it does to me to know that you love me enough to bear my child?" His hands roamed over her skin, making her shiver with want. "You've never been more beautiful to me. I love you so much."

"I'm going to have stretch marks and it'll probably take ages to lose my baby weight," she lamented.

Edward tenderly kissed her shoulder as his hands moved to cup her full breasts, drawing a soft moan from her lips. "As if I care about that. There'll just be more of you for me to kiss and fondle." His hands began doing just that, his fingers rolling her sensitive nipples around. Bella could feel the wetness between her legs that Edward always drew from her. "And every stretch mark will be my reminder of the precious gift you gave me."

"God, I love you. You make me feel so beautiful," whispered Bella breathlessly as one hand moved back down her body.

"You _are_ beautiful," he whispered into her throat as he licked the delicate skin below her ear. "I adore you."

Bella watched as his hand moved between her legs, seeking access that she readily gave. She gasped as his fingers circled her clit before gently stroking up and down.

"I love how wet you get for me," he murmured against her ear. "It's the most erotic thing I can think of."

Bella's breathing became laboured as his fingers worked their magic, slowly pumping into her as his thumb tickled her clit. His other hand massaged her breasts, moving between them.

"Oh god, Edward," she moaned as he inserted another finger, then another. She reached up and wrapped her arm around his neck, turning her head to search for his mouth. He took her lips, his tongue seeking the warmth of her mouth as he mimicked what his fingers were doing while he pressed his urgent erection into her backside.

Bella groaned into his mouth as his fingers increased their pace. Needing to breathe, she pulled her mouth from his. "Ohhh_…ohhh…_god, I'm gonna come."

"Look," he urged. "Look in the mirror. I want you to watch yourself come. I want you to see how incredibly beautiful you look when I make you come."

Looking into the mirror, she watched her face suffuse with pleasure, the blush spreading over her skin. His fingers thrust into her and when he moved the other to rub her clit, she watched herself open her mouth as the unbidden moan of pleasure left it when her orgasm crashed over her.

"_Oh god_!_"_ she cried out, her body shaking as Edward supported her weak legs, his eyes glittering with erotic excitement as she convulsed around his fingers.

"Beautiful. So beautiful," he breathed as he stroked her down. He was so turned on it was painful, his hips grinding into her in a bid to ease the pleasure-pain.

Bella's breath was coming in short spurts as she calmed down. God, was there ever a more perfect man? Edward cupped her face and turned it for his kiss, both voracious and tender.

Their lips still locked together, he moved backwards until his legs touched the bed. Letting her lips go, he sat down, his erection throbbing in anticipation. He pulled her down, slowly impaling her, both of them groaning with pleasure at the feel of him inside her. His hands nudged her legs open so that they could both see their joined bodies in the mirror.

Bella gasped at the sheer eroticism of the moment. She watched as he bucked up into her, his finger rolling her swollen nub.

"_Ahhh_! God that feels good," she moaned breathlessly. Even though her stomach got in the way a bit, she could see him moving in and out of her and she couldn't help rocking back and forth.

"Oh baby," he breathed. "I'm nearly there. Come for me again. I want us to watch you come with me inside you."

"Unngghh..._yes...yes..._oh god_, Edward_, _yesss_!" she hissed, rocking her hips as fast as she could, all awkwardness forgotten as she felt the familiar sensations begin again where they were joined.

"_Oh baby, _oh_...fuck_!_"_ he cried out as his penis jerked violently, unable to hold back any longer and spilled himself inside her, his body shaking from the intense pleasure.

Bella felt him pulse inside her and combined with the look of pure pleasure that was almost painful on his face, was the catalyst for her orgasm. Forcing herself to keep her eyes open, she watched as her body shuddered with each wave of pleasure. Edward's eyes watched her in the mirror, his hands roaming and squeezing as he came down from his high.

Thoroughly sated, Bella leaned her head back on his shoulder as he ran lips over and over the skin of her shoulder. They were still joined and every so often, they felt a ripple of lingering pleasure run through them.

"Now do you see how much I want you?" he murmured against her throat. "How utterly desirable you are?"

"Yes."

"Good. Never think otherwise."

They stayed like that for a few moments, letting their heartbeats settle down. Edward kept kissing her skin and caressing her stomach. The baby gave a couple of well-aimed kicks.

"Ohh!" gasped Bella. "That was a good one."

Edward chuckled. "Poor baby. You're getting a real pummelling, aren't you?" At Bella's nod, he rested his hands on her stomach. "Oh little one, mommy's gonna get really cranky with you if you don't make an appearance soon."

"Yep. Really cranky. You hear that sweetheart?" When her stomach moved again, they both laughed.

"I'd better get a move on, love, or I'll be late." Lifting her up, Edward stood up and stretched. He was about to go in for his shower, when Bella pushed past him.

"Gotta go first," she said urgently. Edward chuckled to himself. His poor Bella was feeling so uncomfortable and he really hoped the baby would make an appearance soon. He knew she was totally over running to the bathroom every fifteen minutes.

Bella got back into bed as it was still early to try and get some more sleep. Their lovemaking had made her sleepy. She was just dozing off when Edward kissed her cheek.

"I'm going, love. Try and get some rest and make sure you call me if you get any pains."

Bella nodded sleepily. "Okay. Love you."

"Love you too." With a final kiss on her forehead, he left for work.

Since Bella could go into labour at any time, she was under instructions to ring Edward immediately if she got a contraction. He would leave the hospital and come home when that happened.

She managed to sleep for a couple of hours and woke with a dull back ache. Bella grimaced wryly. She'd probably been a little too adventurous this morning and she was paying for it now. Her back regularly ached from carrying the extra weight of the baby.

Bella was just preparing herself some lunch and bent down to pick up the knife she dropped when she felt a sharp pain. As she stood up, she felt a 'pop' and then a gush of liquid between her legs. Looking down she could see the puddle left by the amniotic fluid.

"Oh god," breathed Bella. Here we go, she thought as she decided what to do first, call Edward or clean up the mess. Call Edward, I think.

Ringing the unit, she asked to speak to Edward. "I'm sorry Bella, but he's in surgery at the moment with an emergency c-section," replied the nurse who answered.

Damn. "Can you get Sue, if she's available?" Bella waited for Sue, grimacing at the uncomfortable wet feeling, anxious to change her pants.

"Hello, Bella?"

"Hey Sue. Do you know if Edward is nearly finished in surgery?"

"I'm not sure. I can check for you. What's up?"

"My waters just broke. Edward wanted me to ring him if anything happened. I think this qualifies."

Sue laughed. "Yeah, I think so."

"Can you let Edward know as soon as you see him? I'll probably be a while anyway so he'll have time to get to me."

"Will do. I'll go and see if I can get hold of him now."

"Thanks Sue."

Believing she had lots of time to get to hospital, Bella was surprised when another sharp pain started. Five minutes later, another longer, stronger contraction started.

"Oh no!" groaned Bella as she held her stomach as the pain ripped through her. This was happening too fast! Her waters had only broken twenty minutes earlier and already she was having contractions less than five minutes apart. Edward might not have time to come and pick her up.

Another strong contraction struck as she was putting her soiled clothes in the clothes hamper. "Ohhh!" she groaned, bending over as the pain radiated through her body.

"Oh baby. After taking your time, _now_ you're in hurry?" she gasped.

Her phone rang. Hoping it was Edward, she was dismayed when Sue spoke. "Bella, he's in the middle of the operation. It was more complicated than normal so he'll be at least another half hour."

"Oh no," groaned Bella. She panted heavily as yet another contraction started.

"Bella. You okay?" asked Sue as she heard Bella moaning softly.

Unable to speak while the pain ripped through her, Bella took a few moments to answer. "Oh boy! I think the baby's in a bit of a hurry, Sue."

"Damn."

"Yeah," agreed Bella. "I'm contracting every three or four minutes."

"God Bella, you have to get in here now," warned Sue.

"I know. Listen, I'm going to call Charlie. Can you tell Edward to expect me?"

"Okay. Tell Charlie to put on his sirens. You may need them."

Bella laughed worriedly. Sue may have a point. Quickly, before another contraction started, she rang Charlie.

"Bels, you okay?"

"No, Dad. I'm in labour, Edward's in surgery and the baby's in a hurry!"

"Okay Bels. I'm on my way. Relax."

Charlie must have raced to her place because he knocked on her door less than ten minutes later. Bella, her faced laced with pain, opened the door.

"Bels! Damn! Come on, sweetie, let's go." He grabbed her bag and helped her into his squad car.

Bella cried out as another sharper pain started. _Okay Bella_, she told herself, _remember all that advice you've given to labouring mothers. Start taking your own advice_. Panting heavily, she tried to work through the pain.

Charlie's face whitened as he saw the amount of pain Bella was in and flicked on his siren and lights. This was an emergency as far as he was concerned. Bella had one hand on her stomach, another held the hand-hold as Charlie raced through the streets of Forks, siren's blaring.

He had rung ahead to tell the hospital they were on their way so Sue was waiting outside with a wheelchair. Charlie practically lifted Bella out of the police car and sat her in the wheelchair.

Bella's hair was wet with sweat as she tried to cope with the pain. "Where's Edward?" she groaned.

"He's getting changed. Bernard's taken over the operation. Edward needs to be with you now, so I'm going to take care of you until Bernard can get there," explained Sue as they rushed into the delivery room.

Another midwife, Melanie, was waiting for them and helped Bella onto the bed.

"_Ooohhhh_…" moaned Bella, unable to believe how much this hurt.

Sue felt the contraction, which lasted over a minute. "I think you are really close, Bella. That was a really strong contraction."

"You're telling me!" gasped Bella when she could think again as the pain subsided. Before another one could start, Sue checked Bella's dilation.

"You're about nine centimetres, Bella. Wow, you're not mucking around with this one, are you?"

Bella shook her head. "This baby is in so much trouble when it comes out," she joked weakly.

The door opened with a bang as Edward rushed into the room.

"Bella!" he cried as he took her in his arms. "Oh baby, I'm sorry I couldn't pick you up."

"It's okay. I don't think you would have got there in time anyway. I'm already nine centimetres."

Edward gaped at her then looked at Sue, who nodded in confirmation. "I don't think Bernard will get here in time. You'll have to do the delivery, Sue." Sue nodded as Melanie got the birthing pack ready.

"Ahhh!" cried Bella, nearly in tears. She didn't have time for painkillers, much less an epidural.

"I'm here, baby," soothed Edward, brushing her matted hair from her face and kissing her temple as she tried to cope with the pain. "Grab my hand." Bella took it and squeezed as the contraction peaked before subsiding again. The contractions were now nearly continuous, as were her moans.

"Beanbag! I want the beanbag!" demanded Bella urgently.

Melanie grabbed it and they placed it on the bed. Edward help Bella up and she kneeled on it, the bag taking her weight. Bella rocked her hips as the pain seemed to rip her body apart. Even after all the births she'd attended, she had no idea that it could hurt this much. Gripping onto Edward's hand was the only thing that kept her sane. That, and burying her face into the bean bag as she cried out into it during the peaks.

Edward hated seeing Bella in so much pain. Right now, he wasn't an obstetrician; he was a husband watching his beloved wife in agony and it was awful. He would give anything to take her pain away, although he knew it was too late to give her anything for it. He rubbed her back as her hips rocked and leaned down to kiss her hair.

"You're doing so well, baby," he whispered, grimacing slightly as her fingers gripped his with a force he didn't know she was capable of. "I love you, baby. I'm so proud of you."

Over and over, he murmured soothing words although Bella was lost in a haze of pain.

"Oh god, I'm gonna be sick!" cried Bella, sitting up. Sue put a dish under her just as she vomited into it.

Edward held her hair as he continued rubbing her back. "Oh, my poor baby."

"Edward, it hurts!" cried Bella, bursting into tears.

He took her in his arms and held her as she cried. "I know, baby. I know. It won't be long now. You're in transition so it won't be long and our baby will be here."

Bella nodded as she kept on crying. Edward felt helpless. All his knowledge and experience meant nothing now.

Sue performed another exam. "Ten centimetres, Bella. Not long now, honey."

Bella was still holding onto Edward when she had the most overwhelming urge to push. It was an instinct that was impossible to ignore. She could no more have stopped herself pushing than the earth could stop turning.

"Oh god, I need to push!" she gasped, letting Edward go and leaning back on the beanbag. Without waiting for anyone, Bella pushed with all her might.

Luckily, Sue was already gowned up to deliver the baby. "Good girl Bella, that's it. Beautiful. Keep going."

For almost twenty minutes, Bella alternated between pushing and panting. Edward couldn't help himself and he found himself checking her progress then going back to kiss and encourage her.

"Okay Bella, next push and the baby will crown," said Sue.

Grunting with the effort, Bella bore down and pushed with all her might. The intense burning sensation told her the baby's head was crowning. "_Aahhh_!" she yelled out in pain. She felt like her skin was ripping in two. It was nearly unbearable.

"That's great Bella. Nearly there. The head's nearly out," encouraged Sue.

"Baby, you're doing so well. I love you," soothed Edward, his head leaning on hers.

Bella nodded in acknowledgement but words were beyond her. The next contraction started and with an almost inhuman cry, Bella strained and felt the pressure instantly ease, as if an elastic band had snapped back.

"Head's out, Bella. Well done," encouraged Sue. "I'm just turning the shoulders so don't push until the next contraction."

Not pushing was nearly impossible but Bella managed to stop herself. As soon as she felt another contraction, she didn't hold back.

With a gush of remaining amniotic fluid, she felt the baby's shoulders emerge and then the rest of the body.

Edward held his breath for an instant, only releasing it when the baby gave a loud, indignant wail. Sue held up the wriggling infant for his inspection and he couldn't help the gush of tears as he saw his son for the first time.

"It's a boy, Bella. We have a baby son," he choked out.

"A boy! Oh god, Edward," cried Bella, as Sue gave the baby to Edward while she and Melanie helped Bella turn over, leaning against a pile of pillows.

Edward looked down at his son, tears falling down his cheeks as he kissed his little forehead. "Hello, little guy. I'm so happy to finally meet you. I love you." He placed the baby in Bella's waiting arms and wrapped his around the two of them.

"Oh Edward, he's beautiful," whispered Bella in awe. "He's perfect."

"Yes. Oh baby, I love you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much for our son," he whispered back, kissing her lips reverently. Their lips and tears mingled for a moment before they turned to look at their son.

"Welcome to the world, Daniel Edward Cullen," said Bella, kissing his tiny cheek. "Daddy and I love you so much, sweetheart."

Edward asked if he could do the tests on Daniel while Bella delivered the placenta and Sue cleaned her up. Bernard walked in as Edward was weighing Daniel.

"I'm too late, I see. Tell me, boy or girl?" he asked.

Turning his head, Edward beamed at Bernard. "Bernard, I'd like to introduce Daniel Cullen," he said proudly.

"A boy! Congratulations. My, he's a handsome little fellow." Bernard shook Edward's hand then turned towards Bella. "Congratulations, my dear. I'm sorry I missed it but I'm very pleased for you," he said, kissing Bella's cheek.

"Thanks Bernard. Don't worry about it. After stalling for days, my son decided he was in a hurry after all."

_My son. Oh my god, I'm a mother!_ thought Bella, unable to comprehend it fully. She watched Edward wrap Daniel before picking him up and holding him securely against his chest, kissing his son tenderly. Their eyes met, absolute love for her shining from Edward's glittering eyes as he walked back towards her. Bella couldn't help the tears spring into her eyes again as she watched her husband and son together.

"I'm going to leave you all to get acquainted.," smiled Sue smiled, coming to give Bella and Edward a kiss. "Congratulations Mom and Dad. You have a lovely son."

Alone, Bella moved over and patted the bed beside her. Edward placed the baby on her chest then lay down beside her, his hand over hers as they touched their baby's face in awe. Their lips met tenderly, their love flowing through them. Pulling apart, their heads touching, they looked down at their little miracle.

"He's so beautiful," said Bella, her hands tracing his tiny features. He had a light covering of dark hair.

"Yes, like you. I can't believe he's finally here," replied Edward, in amazement. "My son. Our little boy." Neither of them said anything for a few moments, just letting it all sink in. Kissing her temple, he touched Daniel's hand, the tiny fingers gripping his tightly. "You were incredible. I'm so proud of you, baby. I'm sorry I couldn't bring you to hospital."

"It's okay, Edward. It's not your fault you had an emergency. It was quite an experience riding in Dad's police cruiser with the sirens blaring," she laughed.

"He had the lights on?" asked Edward incredulously.

"Yeah. I think he just didn't want me giving birth inside his car," joked Bella. "It was looking like a possibility for a moment there."

"I can't believe you were so quick. How are you feeling?" he asked in concern.

"Surprisingly good, but that's probably the adrenaline. Sue said I didn't tear. Damn, I didn't ask how much he weighs."

"A very healthy eight pounds, four4 ounces."

"That's a good weight. We'll have to make the calls to everyone to let them know. Charlie's probably waiting."

"I'll go and see him while you get transferred to the ward. He's probably anxious to meet his first grandchild." He tenderly caressed the baby's soft skin, smiling as Daniel instinctively turned his head, looking for food. "I think he wants his first meal."

Bella smiled and lifted her t-shirt. She positioned the baby and placed him on her breast, making sure he attached properly. Daniel knew exactly what to do and started suckling.

Edward watched, his heart melting all over again as he watched Bella feed their son. It was such a beautiful sight, and one he didn't believe he'd see for such a long time, that his eyes filled again. He reached out and traced the blue veins on Bella's breast, the breast that he loved so much, before running his hand over his son's downy head. "You're so beautiful, Bella."

She looked at him, and smiled tenderly. "I love you, Edward. Look at the perfection our love made. If I didn't believe in God before, I would now. How could he be anything but a gift?"

Nodding, he leaned forward, kissing the top of her breast, then Daniel's head before moving up and kissing her lips. "There honestly aren't words to describe how much I love you, Bella. You, and Daniel, are my life. I couldn't exist without you."

They watched Daniel feed, then Bella gave him to Edward to burp. Edward grinned and lifted the baby to his shoulder, and gently rubbed his back, chuckling when he burped. "Good boy. Tummy full now?" he murmured against his head. Daniel gave a sigh and promptly fell asleep on Edward's chest.

"So, I guess you were right after all," noted Bella.

"What do you mean? I'm right a lot of the time."

"You're lucky you're holding your son," replied Bella with a smile. "I meant you were right about us having a boy."

Edward nodded. "Damn, I'm good."

"Lucky guess," scoffed Bella.

"Hardly," he replied. "And I guess my super sperm this morning got the labour going, huh?"

Bella looked at him with wry smile. "Co-incidence. I don't believe any of those wives' tales about inducing labour anymore."

"But it was my super sperm," he insisted cheekily. "I made hot, passionate love to you this morning and, hey presto, we have a baby this afternoon."

"You've made hot, passionate love to me every day for the past week and I didn't go into labour then," she pointed out.

"Well, I must have been extra good today."

Bella kissed his cheek. "Mmm, you were _very_ good this morning," she purred, thinking about it.

Edward groaned. "God, how am I going to survive not making love to you for six weeks?"

"You'll live. And think how good it'll be when we finally do."

"For you, my love, I'd wait a lifetime," he murmured.

"Damn, you _are_ good," acknowledged Bella.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Bella and Edward were taking their baby son home today. He was three days old and in Bella's opinion, getting more gorgeous every day, just like his father.

"There you go, sweetheart, all ready for your first car ride," she crooned at Daniel as she placed a baby blue beanie on his head. His eyes were open and trained on his mother's face, as if studying her features. Bella picked him up and kissed his cheeks, breathing in his baby smell. "Daddy's just getting your carrier and we're going home." She'd fed him just before so he was quite content.

After spending nearly an hour in the delivery room marvelling over their little miracle, Bella had been moved to the ward while Edward went to get Charlie and ring their families to give them the news.

Charlie had entered the room, a look of awe on his face as he gazed at his grandson for the first time. Bella had insisted he hold little Daniel, so Charlie had picked him up, holding him awkwardly at first. It had been a long time since he'd held a baby.

"You did real good, Bels. He's a fine little man, isn't he?" Bella had smiled at Edward. Charlie was never going be the most eloquent person in the room but she could see the delight in his eyes. "You too, Edward," said Charlie, as an afterthought.

"Thanks, Charlie," replied Edward. "But Bella did all the work. I couldn't be prouder of her."

Charlie nodded in agreement. Not long afterwards the onslaught began. First Alice arrived with Jasper and Alyssa in tow.

"Oh my god, he's adorable!" cried Alice as she saw her nephew for the first time. "Look Aly, this is your cousin, Daniel. Congratulations, I'm so happy for you." She hugged and kissed both of them before insisting she hold her favourite nephew. Alyssa just grinned at everyone, safe and secure in her daddy's arms, gurgling and dribbling everywhere.

"I'm glad you had a boy, Edward," said Jasper seriously.

"Why's that, Jas?" asked Edward curiously.

"He'll be able to keep an eye out for any male that tries to get funny with Alyssa," replied Jasper with a smile. "We'll have an agreement, the two of us, that he'll be on the hotline to me as soon as a guy even goes near her."

"He will not!" glared Alice at her husband. "Oh my god, I'm already feeling sorry for her. And no," she looked at the sleeping baby, "you won't be calling your uncle."

Bella giggled while Edward winked at Jasper. "Don't worry, we'll work something out."

"Guys! Cut it out!" laughed Bella, shaking her head at their over-protectiveness.

Next to arrive were Esme and Carlisle, followed closely by Jacob with Victoria and Robbie. It was quite the party atmosphere for a while as everyone fussed over the newest member of the family. Edward got a message during their visit from Renee, informing him that she and Phil would be arriving the following day after securing a flight from Jacksonville.

"Oh that's great. I can't wait for Renee to meet Daniel," said Bella. It was a shame that she was so far away but Edward pointed out that with regular visits, emails and photos, Renee could still be involved in Daniel's life.

By the time visiting hours were over, the adrenaline from the birth was definitely wearing off and Bella could feel her energy flagging. Daniel hadn't wanted a feed since his birth but she wasn't worried about it. He would demand feeding when he was ready. Edward stayed for a couple more hours, lying next her, gently kissing her as she dozed. He was going to come into work while she was in hospital as he would be able to see them whenever he had a free moment. Once she went home, he was taking a month's leave to help Bella adjust to their new life. A locum had been secured to take his place so Bernard wouldn't be overloaded.

"All set?" asked Edward as he walked into the room with the baby carrier. He smiled tenderly as he saw his son all dressed in his blue clothes. He still had to pinch himself at times to ensure he wasn't dreaming. He couldn't help thanking the heavens for the treasures he'd been given as he looked at his beloved Bella and his adored son.

"We sure are," replied Bella as he kissed her. "Let's get this show on the road."

They secured Daniel in his carrier and Edward proudly carried his son through the hospital, loving all the attention his little man got. Bella walked beside him, mentally shaking her head. Any prouder and he'd burst. Sue and another nurse helped her carry the numerous flowers she'd received out to the car. During the past two days, many staff members had come to see the baby and give her gifts and flowers and her room looked like a florist at times.

It was very cold outside and Edward had moved the car as close to the entrance as possible so that Daniel would be exposed to the elements as little as possible. As they drove off, Bella waved at the staff, promising to bring Daniel in regularly for visits. She had decided to take an initial six months off and would re-evaluate when that time was coming to an end. Bella didn't know how she would feel about returning to work and leaving Daniel, so Edward suggested she didn't make any decisions now.

The apartment was warm when they entered and Bella could smell something baking.

"What's that?"

"Mom came and put a casserole in the oven for us. She's been cooking and has left food in the freezer so that you don't have to cook."

"That's so sweet," said Bella, grateful for Esme's thoughtfulness.

"She did the same for Alice. So, what now?"

At these words, Bella felt a moment of panic. They were all alone with their new baby and she was completely responsible for it. Even though she was an experienced midwife and helped new mothers care for their babies, now she was the new mother. What did she really know about raising a child? What if she got it wrong?

Edward could see the worry on Bella's face. "What's wrong, baby?"

Taking a deep breath, Bella told him what was on her mind, the panic evident in her voice. Putting the sleeping baby down on the couch, Edward took Bella in his arms, and held her close.

"Ssh, baby. It's okay. It's okay. You'll be a great mother and everything will be fine. We're both on a learning curve but we'll muddle along together. It's natural to be scared but we've got each other and we'll be okay. As long as Daniel knows that we love him, everything will be fine."

Being in his arms, listening to his soothing words, Bella felt better. Of course she would be okay. She was just getting the normal jitters that every new mother goes through. Lifting her head, she pulled his lips down to hers. "Thank you, my love. You always know what to do to make me feel better."

He rested his forehead on hers and smiled. "I love you and I know you'll be a wonderful mother. You _are_ a wonderful mother. I'll always here for you, baby." They just held each other for a few moments then Daniel made a mewling cry. "Sounds like someone's waking up," smiled Edward as he let Bella go.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully as they got to know each other without anyone else around. Their families were being tactful enough to leave them alone to settle the baby in at home. In the evening, Bella bathed Daniel, the baby seemingly enjoying the warm water while Edward looked on and took photos.

"These are the ones we'll take out and embarrass him with when he's twenty-one," he joked.

Bella fed him, swaddled him up tightly and they put him to bed, gazing down at the sleeping baby in his cot.

"It's hard to believe he's really ours sometimes," whispered Edward, his finger lightly caressing the baby's cheek.

Bella laid her head on Edward's shoulder as he held her with his other arm. "I know. He's so beautiful, isn't he?"

"Yeah, the most beautiful baby I've ever seen. I could be biased, though.," he smiled.

"Probably a little, but I agree with you. And he's ours. Our son."

"Our little miracle."

**A/N: I chose the name Daniel because I love that name. I would have called my son Daniel but his oldest sister is already called Daniella so that would have been too weird! **

**Anyway, let me know what you think**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Hi again. I was so happy read that so many of you enjoyed Daniel's birth. I absolutely love hearing so many of your own stories - it just proves what amazing creatures we women are!**

**There is only one chapter left after this, either with an epilogue attached or on its own - depending on how the next chapter goes. I will be writing a couple of outtakes with Alice & Jasper, and Jacob & Victoria which will be attached as new chapters. So things are coming to a close folks. **

**Enjoy a little Daddyward this chapter**

Chapter 33

The noise coming from the baby monitor woke Edward up. Lifting his head, he could see that Bella was fast asleep and hadn't heard it. Deciding to let her sleep, he carefully got out of bed and pulled on a t-shirt before going into Daniel's room.

"Hey, little guy," he whispered to the grizzling baby. The room was very dim in the early morning light so he turned on the lamp, bathing the room with a soft glow. "Don't tell me you're hungry again?" Leaning down, he picked up his son and held him close, kissing the top of his soft hair. "You're wearing your momma out. But I can see the attraction of being close to those delicious boobies as much possible."

_Damn_, but he was horny. Four weeks without making love to Bella and he was close to climbing the walls. He knew Bella felt the same, which eased the frustration a tiny bit. She had offered to help him find relief but he had declined, wanting their first time after Daniel's birth to be amazing. They would probably burn each other up with desire.

"_Two weeks, baby. Two weeks." _

Daniel began grumbling as he moved his little head from side to side against Edward's chest, searching for his food. Edward chuckled as he walked out of the room. "You won't find anything there, baby. Come on, let's get you some breakfast."

Bella had found out soon enough that Daniel really liked his food. The first two weeks had basically been spent just feeding him at all hours of the day and night. She had been exhausted, and was grateful that Edward was home with her, as she doubted she would have had any energy to do anything more than look after the baby.

When she had put salt into her cup of tea instead of sugar and had put a load of washing in the oven instead of the drier, she knew she needed more sleep. She decided to start expressing her milk, which she luckily had a plentiful supply of, and storing it in the freezer. Daniel had spat the bottle out in disgust at first but she had persevered and he now accepted it, albeit reluctantly. Edward had taken great delight in being able to feed Daniel, and now usually took one of the night feeds for Bella to allow her to sleep longer.

Edward grabbed a bottle out of the fridge and began warming it up, gently bouncing the baby who was getting more impatient by the second.

"Okay, okay, it's coming," he murmured. "Impatient little tyke, aren't you?" Finally, the milk was warm enough and Edward went back to Daniel's room, sitting down on the comfortable armchair that had been a gift from Esme and Carlisle. It was a recliner so that Bella could be as comfortable as possible while feeding the baby.

"Here you go. Bon apetit." Edward watched Daniel eagerly latch on to the teat and begin sucking greedily. As he watched his son feed, he found it hard to describe how much he loved the tiny human being in his arms. Edward knew he would give his life for son, would go to any lengths to protect him, do whatever needed to be done to make sure Daniel was happy. Daniel opened his eyes and looked at Edward intently, as if in silent communication. Edward stroked his son's silky cheek as he continued drinking.

When he finished, Daniel looked like the cat that got the cream, totally content. Edward chuckled softly.

"Obviously the way to your heart will be through your stomach, won't it, little man?" To his delight, Daniel gave him a smile before emitting a burp in the next instant. Laughing, Edward lifted him to his shoulder, rubbing his back. "That was a good one.," he smiled as he lowered Daniel down, resting him on his bent knees. "Now, was that smile a real one or simply all that gas?"

Daniel's gaze was intent on his father's face as Edward spoke silly nonsense to him. Before long, another toothless smile creased his face. In response, Edward bent down and nuzzled his neck, loving this quiet time with his son.

Bella stirred in her bed, instantly realising that Edward wasn't behind her, spooning her as usual. Then she heard the humming coming from the baby monitor. She listened to it for a few moments, Edward's voice sounding tinny and crackly. Looking at the time she realised that Edward must have gotten up to feed Daniel, as it had been five hours since she had fed him during the night. Her breasts felt full and heavy and she knew she would have to express soon or be really uncomfortable.

Pulling a robe on, Bella tiptoed to Daniel's room, not wanting to alert Edward to her presence yet. She loved watching Edward with the baby, the tender way he held him, the love in his voice when he spoke to Daniel. She knew Edward adored his son and that made Bella adore Edward even more, if that were possible.

God, she couldn't _wait_ for her six week check up. Her body was dying to feel Edward's in hers. They could barely give each other a kiss before it turned hot with wanting, their hands roaming over each other. She knew Edward felt the same, his body evidence of that. If they sat together, she could feel his hardness pressing against her, making her mouth water with desire. She wanted to give him some relief but Edward had declined, not wanting to get his release when she wasn't able to get hers. _Only two weeks to go. Two whole, long weeks._

Bella had found out how much work a newborn was in the previous month. Her life was consumed with Daniel for the first couple of weeks. He ate ravenously and all she seemed to do was feed him. She was beyond exhausted; she was running on autopilot. In desperation, she decided to express and that had helped enormously. It enabled her to get a few hours sleep in one go, enabling her brain to function at least. And Edward loved to feed Daniel, getting some quality time with him.

As far as babies went, Daniel was quite an easy one. He generally didn't cry much, except when he was hungry or tired. If you didn't count the 'witching hour', as Bella dubbed it. At five o'clock each night, almost to the minute, Daniel decided to cry his little lungs out. Bella had tried everything, feeding, changing, massaging, singing, rocking, everything, with no success. Edward tried as well, but to no avail. Daniel took the liberty of exercising his lungs every night and his parents just had to endure it.

Standing at the door of the baby's room, Bella smiled tenderly as she watched Edward singing John Lennon's _'Beautiful Boy_'. He had a beautiful singing voice, but chose not to use it in public. He had Daniel resting on his bent thighs, the baby's fingers gripping his, his eyes glued his father's face.

Daniel had filled out in the past month and Bella could see his father in him. He had Edward's chin and nose –, in miniature, of course –, but he had her hair. Bella had hoped he would inherit Edward's hair colour but it didn't look like that was going to happen. To Bella's delight though, it looked like he was going to have his father's gorgeous green eyes. Bella could see the change in his eye colour and it was too light to be brown. There was a definite green tinge there, which would only get more intense over the next few weeks.

Quietly, she walked behind Edward, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed his cheek. Edward turned his head, capturing her lips, still soft and warm from sleep.

"Hey, love. Did you get some sleep?"

Bella nodded and tightened her arms. "Yeah." She looked down at her baby, smiling at him. "Hi gorgeous boy," she crooned, reaching down to touch his downy hair. "Having fun with Daddy?"

Daniel turned his eyes on his mother and gave a wide grin in her direction. "

Hey, you're smiling!" she said, thrilled.

"Yep," confirmed Edward. "We were having a man- to- man talk and he found something I said very amusing."

Bella laughed and held Edward closer. "Silly. What was this man- to- man talk about?"

"That's secret men's business, I'm afraid. Isn't it, buddy?" Having discovered that smiling got his parent's attention, Daniel was full of them this morning.

"It doesn't look like he's going back to sleep any time soon, does it?" mused Bella as Daniel waved his arms around, his little legs kicking in the air, covered in his one-piece. _He is just too cute for words_, thought Bella. "Let's take him back to bed with us, honey. It's nice and warm there and it's pretty early."

They lay in bed, Daniel content between them as they played with his hands and feet until he dozed off an hour later. Bella and Edward watched him sleep, relishing this tender time with their baby.

Edward cupped her face and leaned forward to kiss her, their lips moving softly together. As usual, it deepened at lightning pace, his tongue demanding entry and savouring the warmth there. His hand moved down and cupped her full breast, eliciting a soft moan into his mouth. The sound of Daniel snuffling in his sleep brought them back to the present and they moved back, their breathing slightly ragged.

"I love you," whispered Bella.

"I love you too, my darling," replied Edward. "Two weeks."

Bella nodded in understanding. "Two weeks."

It would be a _long_ two weeks.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Merry Christmas, Mommy."

Bella woke up two days later to find Edward sitting on the bed, Daniel on his lap. She had to laugh at the sight of her baby wearing a tiny Santa hat that Edward had found. He had changed Daniel into a red suit and he looked like the cutest little elf ever.

"Merry Christmas, my loves," she replied, sitting up and taking Daniel in her arms. "Hey, my gorgeous little elf. What did Santa bring me today? Maybe it was having two gorgeous men in my bed this morning?"

Edward leant forward and kissed her lips. "Merry Christmas, beautiful."

"Merry Christmas, handsome," she replied.

It was their first Christmas together, seeing as how she had been in Florida last year. _So much had happened in one year_, mused Bella. Top of that list was marrying Edward, falling pregnant and having Daniel. She didn't think Santa could give her anything that would beat that.

"Santa brought us something," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Bella cupped his face, enjoying the rasp of his morning beard against her skin. She longed to have him rub his whiskers all over her body. _Stop it_, thought Bella. God, the level of sexual frustration was incredible. When she wasn't thinking about Daniel, she was thinking about sex with Edward.

Edward saw her eyes darken and he could read her very well by now. She wanted him and it was killing him not being able to fulfil her every wish. At this rate, by the time they could make love again, he was probably going to last as long as a teenage boy with his first sexual conquest

"What did Santa bring us?" she asked huskily against his lips. "I know what I want, but I doubt Santa could bring me that."

Edward groaned against her lips. "I only wish. No, it's something else." Pulling his lips from hers, he sat back and held out an envelope covered in Christmas decorations.

Handing the baby back to Edward, Bella opened the envelope. Inside was a piece of paper that Bella pulled out curiously. Quickly scanning it, Bella gave a pleased cry.

"Edward! This is fantastic!" she cried, wrapping her arms around both her men. The letter contained details of their flights to Hawaii next June, staying at one of the luxury hotels on Waikiki Beach.

"I thought we'd go for our first anniversary, the three of us. Daniel will be seven months old by then and should be alright to take on a plane. We never had a proper honeymoon and this can be our belated one," he explained.

"Oh, I can't wait!" exclaimed Bella, looking at the page again. He had booked first class seats on the flight and the hotel looked heavenly. "Thank you, Santa."

"Well, you've been a _very_ good girl, this year," joked Edward, his words laden full of sexual innuendo.

"So has Santa. I hope Mrs. Claus is looking after you properly," she replied saucily.

"Oh, she will." They kissed lingeringly for a few moments before Edward sat back. "Danny and I have something else for you." He gave her another small box.

"More jewellery?" Edward had given her quite a bit of jewellery in the last few months, often buying it spontaneously, for no apparent reason other than he liked to watch her face when she opened the box. This time he gave her a gorgeous, delicate gold watch, which had diamonds surrounding the face, as well as diamonds embedded in the watch face itself.

"This is beautiful," breathed Bella. "As usual, you've spent way too much," she chided gently.

"That's nothing compared to what you've given me," replied Edward.

Not knowing what to get him, Bella had decided on a picture frame of her and Daniel, which Alice had taken on one of her visits. It had Bella holding a wide-eyed Daniel next to her face as they both looked into the camera. Edward could take the picture to work and put it on his desk when he went back after New Years.

"I love it," he said, as he looked at the photo of his wife and son. "That's definitely going on my desk and I'll show it off every chance I get. I want everyone to see my gorgeous wife and son and envy me my luck."

Bella just shook her head at his silliness and got up to start the day. They were going to Esme's for Christmas lunch and Esme had invited Charlie and Kara along. Kara was spending the Christmas break with Charlie, and Bella wondered how long it would be before Charlie popped the question. Of course, Kara still lived in Canada, a problem that needed to be sorted out first.

"What has Santa brought my little guy?" asked Edward as he walked towards the Christmas tree he had painstakingly picked out. He insisted that as it was Daniel's first Christmas the tree had to be perfect. He and Bella had shopped for decorations and he'd picked a bauble with "'Baby's 1st Christmas"' on it and had Daniel's name put on it. Bella had argued that Daniel had no idea what Christmas was, but Edward insisted they buy him gifts. Now, she watched in amusement as Edward unwrapped presents, exclaiming in delight to Daniel, even though he knew full well what was in them.

"I can't wait until next Christmas," said Edward, when all the gifts were opened and Daniel was more intent on food than anything else. "When he can rip the paper off himself." Bella knew Christmas was going to be fun with Edward around.

Hopefully, by next year, they would be in their new house. It was about half finished now, but with the winter weather and Christmas no work would be done on it until January. The builders estimated that it should be completed by around April, and Bella couldn't wait.

Esme's house was filled with delicious smells when they arrived. She had decorated the house and Bella thought it looked like one of those Christmas postcards one regularly received.

"How's Grandma's little boy?" gushed Esme as she scooped Daniel up in her arms. "He gets more gorgeous every day, doesn't he Carlisle?" she said as she smothered his little face in kisses. Carlisle could only agree indulgently as he bent to kiss his grandson. Daniel had just woken from his sleep and he smiled up at Esme, who cried out in delight. "You're smiling! Oh my gosh, you remind me so much of your daddy when he was your age!"

Not planning to relinquish her grandson for a while, Bella and Edward walked into the sitting room where Alice, Jasper and Victoria were sitting and chatting as they watched over their children. Robbie was rolling over and over, trying to get to his hands and knees, without success. The adults were laughing at his antics while Alyssa sat on the same mat, supported by a couple of pillows as she wasn't completely steady sitting up yet.

Robbie had inherited his father's blond hair and was a real cutie. He was a really happy baby, smiling at everyone. When he laughed, it was impossible not to laugh with him, his chortles filling the room. Alyssa, meanwhile, was a beautiful baby. Her dark hair had grown a little and it had a wave, like her father's. Her eyes were stunning, their blueness drawing much attention. Jasper was really going to have his hands full when she became a teenager. She was teething at the moment and sat gnawing her hands, dribble completely soaking her bib. She smiled a wide gummy smile when Edward picked her up and gave her a cuddle, asking how his favourite niece was doing. He picked up Robbie as well, both babies patting his cheeks, Alyssa trying to suck on it.

Leaving the men with the babies, the women went to kitchen to give Esme a hand with the food. There was a lot of laughter and gossip as they told each other their 'daddy stories', laughing at their men's antics with their children. Victoria joined in since Jake basically treated Robbie like his son.

When the doorbell sounded, Victoria lit up the Christmas tree in the sitting room. Jake was coming with Charlie and Kara and she rushed out to greet them. Bella and Alice looked quizzically at Esme, who smiled knowingly.

"I think there's been some development on that front," she said cryptically. Sure enough, when they went back into the sitting room to greet the newcomers, Jake and Victoria were holding hands, Jake holding Robbie in his free arm. Bella glanced at Edward, who was looking at their clasped hands and smiled at Bella.

When she managed to corner Jake, she asked if things had changed with Victoria and the dreamy look in his eyes confirmed everything. Bella gave him a hug and told him she was happy for him.

Charlie announced that he had asked Kara to marry him, to Bella's delight. She hugged her father hard, glad that he wouldn't be alone anymore. Kara showed off the ring he had given her this morning, blushing. Bella was amazed that Charlie would be romantic enough to ask her on Christmas morning. This was a side of Charlie she'd definitely never seen before. Kara told everyone that the paperwork to get US residency had been filed weeks before and they were hoping to get an answer soon. Once approved, she would move in with Charlie until the wedding, whenever that was to be.

Christmas at the Cullen house was loud, noisy and boisterous, and Bella wouldn't have it any other way. Toasts were made, presents exchanged and Bella reflected later that if all Christmases were like that in future, she would be a happy woman.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"All done, Bella," declared Bernard as he took his gloves off. "Everything's looking fine and your body's back to normal."

"Thanks Bernard," replied Bella as she got up and began righting her clothing. She had just had her six week check- up, and Bernard had given her a clean bill of health.

"You probably don't need me telling you, but I want to remind you about birth control. Breastfeeding isn't a reliable form of contraception, as you well know," he said as he wrote in her notes.

"Thanks, but I'm all too aware of that," laughed Bella. There had been many a mother who had made a return trip to the labour ward less than a year after their previous delivery. "Edward and I have decided that we're going to let nature take its course. We would like more children, if we can, so if it happens, great."

They had discussed the issue at length in the last couple of weeks. Due to Edward's lower than normal sperm count, there was no telling how long it would take for Bella to fall pregnant again. Neither of them wanted Daniel to be an only child, if it could be helped. Bella decided to take the attitude that whatever happened, happened.

She said a quick goodbye to Bernard and went to see if Edward was free. Esme was looking after Daniel while she had her check up, loving the chance to spend time with her gorgeous grandson.

Stopping several times to chat to some of the staff, it seemed to take ages to get to Edward's office. She knocked on the door and entered when he called out.

"Hi sexy," she purred.

Edward looked up, a hungry look in his eyes as he looked at his wife. He looked her up and down, pausing on her breasts, his mouth watering as he saw them faithfully outlined in the tight red sweater she wore. She was back to wearing her jeans and if her hips were slightly wider than before, it only added to her sexiness. Despite her fears, her baby weight had dropped off relatively easily.

"Hi, beautiful. You look hot," he purred back, getting up from his desk.

Bella could feel herself get all gooey inside at the lustful tone in his voice. She stepped into his outstretched arms, wrapping her arms around his neck as their lips collided, kissing each other hungrily. Edward's hands roamed her back, moving down to cup her backside, caressing each cheek before pulling her into him, letting her feel his hardness.

"God Bella, I want you so badly," he murmured into her throat, his hips rocking against hers.

"Mmm, me too," she breathed.

"Bernard give you the okay?"

Bella nodded, breathless as one hand cupped her breast, squeezing gently.

"Thank God," he sighed in relief, as he nipped her earlobe. "I'd go crazy if I had to wait much longer."

Bella giggled, kissing his jaw and breathing in his heavenly scent. Edward seemed to remember where they were, and reluctantly let her go, his hands remaining her hips.

"Don't work late tonight if you can help it, okay?" instructed Bella. "I have plans for you."

"Will Daniel play ball, do you think?" he smiled.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll find the opportunity," she replied huskily.

"The way I'm feeling, five minutes would be sufficient," joked Edward.

"No way. I want you over and over."

Edward groaned and rested his forehead against hers. "You have to cut that out, love. I've got to get back to work. It wouldn't be very appropriate to deliver a baby with a raging hard on because I'm thinking about what I'll be doing to my wife later."

Bella burst out laughing and hugged him again. "Okay, enough torture. I'd better get back to Daniel and let you get back to work. I'll see you at home."

Giving her a lingering goodbye kiss, Edward led her to the door. "Bye, love. I can't wait to get home. Give Mom my love and Daniel a kiss from me."

"Will do."

Bella was still smiling as she got into her car. She was now driving a Volvo SUV that Edward had insisted he buy for her when she was pregnant. He said he would feel better knowing she and Daniel were in a larger vehicle with all the safety features he could get. Bella had reluctantly agreed but now was glad she had. As Alice had told her, she needed to take so much with her when she left the house with Daniel, that the Volvo gave her all the space she needed.

She thought about the coming evening with Edward and was suddenly determined to make it memorable. Picking up the phone, she quickly dialled.

"Alice? Hey, you busy?"

"Hi, Bella. No, not really. I'm just hanging around home. What's up?"

"You want to come to Port Angeles with me?"

"Yeah, sure. What are you going there for?"

"I had my six week check up today and I need to get some sexy underwear," replied Bella, blushing.

Alice burst out laughing. "Ooh, Edward's gonna be one happy camper tonight, I take it."

"I'm hoping so."

Bella arranged to pick Alice up after she'd collected Daniel. She had only taken one bottle of expressed milk to Esme's so she'd need to take him with her.

An hour and half later, Bella, Alice and Daniel walked into a lingerie store in Port Angeles. Alyssa had stayed behind with Jasper having some quality father-daughter time. They spent a while looking at the racy underwear, Alice deciding to buy herself some to surprise Jasper with.

After trying on several items, Bella selected a number of bras, pants, thigh high stockings and garters, pleased with herself as the sales lady packaged them.

"Edward is going blow his load when he sees those," laughed Alice.

"I hope not," replied Bella. "I want some fun first. Then again, we might have to take the edge off first. It's been a long six weeks."

"God, you two are like rabbits," said Alice, shaking her head. "I thought Jasper and I were bad enough."

"And don't you love it?"

"Oh yeah," replied Alice, already thinking about Jasper's reaction to some of her purchases.

Bella was trying to get dinner ready when Edward came home. She had Daniel in his rocker next to her, but the baby was wanting more attention than he was receiving, and the whole process was taking twice as long as she needed to pick him up every few minutes when he screamed his little head off.

"Someone's not happy.," smiled Edward smiled as he walked in, kissing the nape of Bella's neck before bending down to pick up his son. "Hey, what's all this?"

At the sound of his father's voice, Daniel stopped crying and gave him a gummy smile.

"You little faker," smiled Bella as she watched them. "I see you just want attention, don't you. Just like a man."

"Why wouldn't he want to get his gorgeous mother's attention?" asked Edward with a smirk. "She's pretty damned hot, you know?"

With a shake of her head, she kicked her men out of the kitchen so she could continue dinner.

After dinner, Bella fed and bathed Daniel, then put him to bed. After kissing his son goodnight, Edward said he was going to have a shower. Giving her a quick, passionate kiss, he entered the bathroom and Bella sprang into action. Stripping off quickly, she donned her new underwear, covering it with a silky robe and stepped into a pair a red stilettos. Brushing out her hair, she declared herself ready. She heard to water turn off and sat down on the bed, crossing her legs provocatively.

Edward, who had been anticipating tonight like a starving man, stepped into the bedroom covered in only a towel. When he caught sight of Bella, his manhood stood to immediate attention.

Bella licked her lips at the evidence of his arousal and felt the wetness between her legs increase. "Is that for me?" she asked throatily.

"What do you think?" he smirked, his eyes roving over her silk clad body, the deep V showing a hint of what was underneath.

"Well, I hope it's for me. Otherwise, all this would have been wasted," she replied as she slowly undid the belt and pulled open the robe, revealing what was underneath.

Edward sucked in his breath and he thought he was going to come right there and then. Bella was looking like his wet-dream come to life. She was wearing red satin underwear, thigh high stockings and red high heels. The barely-there satin cups of the bra were pushing her breasts up, the creamy mounds just begging for his mouth. His eyes wandered down her body, taking in her softly rounded stomach and groaned as he took in the skimpy satin panties. When Bella slipped the robe off her shoulders, she turned slightly and he clenched his hands to stop himself from grabbing her, wrenching off the thong she wore and burying himself in her heat and pounding into her until they were both screaming.

"Like what you see?" she asked saucily, her hands roaming over her skin, watching his eyes glaze over with lust.

"Oh damn, baby. Look at how much I like what I see?" he ground out, ripping off the towel, his throbbing member pointing exactly where it wanted to be.

Bella licked her lips and walked slowly towards him, her movement sultry and so incredibly arousing. She raised her hands to his chest, rubbing over his skin, tracing the indentations of his muscles, feeling the rapid expansion of his lungs as he tried to suck in air. Her hand moved seductively over his broad shoulders before burying themselves in his hair and pulling his lips down to hers.

Edward groaned loudly as he attacked her mouth, his hands roaming over as much silky skin as he could manage. They mouths ravaged each other, lips, teeth and tongue battling for domination. His hands squeezed her buttocks and pulled her forward, his hot, throbbing member squeezed between their bodies.

"God baby, what are you doing to me?" he breathed as his mouth traced patterns over her throat then moving down to lick her fantasy-inducing breasts. He buried his face in her cleavage, breathing in her scent.

"Exactly what you're doing to me," she replied breathlessly as one of his hands moved between her legs, caressing her inner thighs, so close to where she craved him.

Pulling away slightly, Bella's hand left his hair and moved back down his torso, feeling the faint tremors of desire that wracked his body. Her eyes not leaving his, she reached for his shaft, taking hold of his velvety steel in her hands.

"Oh baby," he moaned as she slowly moved her hands over him, rubbing his balls at the same time. He could feel the pressure building and knew it wouldn't take much to make him come. When Bella kneeled down, Edward nearly felt his knees buckle.

With a sultry smile up at him, she leaned forward and took his tip in her mouth, tasting the drop of pre-come. Taking hold of his base, Bella took as much of him into her mouth as she could, drawing out a gasping breath from him.

"Fuck!" he ground out, as he watched her pink lips swallow him up, her hand cupping his balls. She began moving back and forth, gently dragging her teeth along his over-sensitised skin. Edward hissed as her movement got faster before she released him. Edward couldn't help the groan of disappointment but that didn't last long as she started to lick him from one end to the other, leaving no part untouched while her hand pumped him at the same time.

"Geez, baby. You're gonna make me come. I'm so wound up," he warned, when she took him back in her mouth. Bella ignored his warning and moved faster, feeling him lengthen even further. Edward wound his hands in her glorious hair, stoking his belly with the silky strands. He was gasping in breaths by now, and he couldn't help thrusting into her mouth.

"Baby...baby..._oh God!_ Baby...I'm...gonna..._COME_!" he shouted as he spilled himself into her mouth in seemingly endless bursts. His hips were thrusting in and out of her mouth as he rode out his orgasm, his pulse racing frantically. Looking down, once he could think again, he watched as she slowly let him go, as if she was savouring every last drop and released him, her lips glistening.

Lifting her to her feet, Edward kissed her again, tasting himself in her mouth. "Oh god, baby. I love you so much. That was..." He couldn't describe it. It had been too powerful.

"Glad you approved," she answered huskily, her thong literally soaked with arousal at the sounds Edward had made as she gave him head.

"Oh I approved, all right. I think I need to show you just how much I approved." He picked her up and gently deposited her in the middle of the bed, his pulse accelerating again at the sheer sexiness of her. Crawling onto the bed, he lay beside her, kissing her passionately as his fingers edged their way under the cups of her bra, exposing her taut, aching nipples. Gently, he rolled them in his fingers, drawing out a ragged breath from her lips.

"Like that? Does it feel different now that you're feeding?" he asked huskily as he watched a sheen of sweat form on her brow.

"God yes...I like...it," she gasped as he tugged. "It's more sensitive, pleasurable," she mumbled. She couldn't believe how turned on she was becoming as Edward played with her breasts. The sensations she felt while breastfeeding and now were so far removed from each other it was impossible to explain. "It feels so good."

"Good, I want to give you pleasure," he murmured as he lowered his lips to her aching nipple, sucking on it. He could taste the milk but it wasn't a turn off. Just the opposite in fact as he moved between breasts, massaging her at the same time.

"Oh Edward," she moaned, her legs rubbing together as she tried to ease the ache in her centre. Each suck on her nipple sent a spear of fire through her body, ending at her hot, swollen sex.

Edward lifted his head, kissing her lips again as he undid the bra and took it off, throwing it across the room. Then he began his slow, torturous trek down her body, licking and nibbling her skin until Bella cried out incoherently, begging him to take her.

Her skin was flushed, coated in a fine layer of sweat and Edward was tempted to just take her now but was determined give her as much pleasure as he could.

"Shh, baby," he soothed, as his hands ran over her silk-clad legs, her feet still encased in those heels that sent his blood pressure soaring. Ripping off those sinful panties, he lay between her legs, looking at her swollen sex, glistening with desire and he felt himself harden painfully again.

Gently, he licked her from one end to the other, a guttural groan emitting from her lips as her hips began writhing. Over and over he traced over her folds before taking her nub between his teeth and softly nibbling.

"_Ohh...ahh..."_ she sobbed incoherently, her head thrashing from side to side as she gripped his hair, trying to get his tongue deeper into her. Edward answered her unspoken plea and started thrusting his tongue into her, her loud moans egging him on. Then he removed his tongue and replaced it with his finger.

"Is this okay?" he asked nervously. He didn't want to hurt her even if she was supposed to be fully recovered from the birth.

"Yes! Oh god, yes! Please...more," she begged, arching her hips, seeking greater friction. Relieved, Edward inserted another finger, arched them upwards and began pumping them into her, his mouth sucking on her sensitised clit at the same time.

That was enough to send Bella over the edge and cried out as she climaxed, every nerve ending throbbing as pleasure swamped her. She didn't realise that she was pulling his hair as she came, lost in sensation. As her orgasm subsided, she lay limply on the bed trying to draw oxygen into her lungs. Edward moved up and lay over her, throbbing against her thigh, the silk adding another layer of sensation.

"You okay?" he asked. Bella simply nodded, unable to speak. Edward began kissing her jaw, her throat, her shoulder as his touch aroused her again, despite the powerful orgasm she'd just had.

"I love you," she murmured into his hair.

"I love you so much," he replied, his fingers again playing with her nipples, getting the same response as before. Bella reached down and took hold of his member, stroking it up and down.

"I want you inside me," she whispered. "I've missed you inside me, filling me."

Edward groaned and lengthened in her hand at her words. Without saying anything, he spread her legs and lay between them. Their eyes locked in silent communication, Edward gently thrust into her, both of them crying out at the sensation of becoming one again.

"Fuck, you still feel tight," he murmured, lightheaded at the pleasure of being inside his Bella again.

"Those Kegel exercises must really work then," she quipped breathlessly as he moved within her. "You feel so good. So hard."

"So do you. Like heaven. No, better than heaven," he mumbled, his hips starting to move more quickly.

Bella wrapped her legs around his waist and he nearly came as felt the heel of her shoe against his behind. Suddenly the need to see what they looked like making love in her sinfully sexy stockings and heels overwhelmed him and he pulled out of her. Bella looked at him in surprise, feeling empty.

Edward sat up, pulling her with him. "Get on all fours, facing the mirror," he urged.

Realising what he wanted, Bella felt another gush of arousal. She did as he asked, watching him in the mirror as he knelt behind her, nudging her legs apart further. With his eyes never leaving hers, he held himself at her entrance for a moment before he pushed into her.

Bella couldn't help dropping her head at the intense sensation of him filling her from behind. It was always like that when he made love to her this way. He buried himself to the hilt and reached forward to tip her head back so that she could watch as he began thrusting into her.

"Oh shit...yes..." she gasped as he hit all the right places inside her. _"Unghhh..."_

"Yes baby, that's it, feel me... inside you. Feel how much my body... loves you, how... much I love...you," he ground out as be pumped his hips, his balls hitting her clit on every thrust.

"Yes...yes...yes..." moaned Bella with every rhythmic thrust and she could feel herself getting close, her sex tingling where he was filling her completely.

Edward threw his head back, his body covered in sweat as he pounded into her, his hips pistoning in and out. Bella's continual moans of pleasure spurred him on to make her come as hard as she could. She had given him so much, he wanted to give her this.

"Edward! I'm so close!" she cried, her arms having trouble holding her up.

Without warning, Edward pulled out and flipped her onto her back, positioning himself and thrusting back into her without hardly losing a beat. Bella wrapped her body around him, arms and legs imprisoning him as they rocked together, the bed creaking from the force of their movements.

"_Ohh...ohh...ohh... Edward_!_"_ she yelled as her orgasm crashed over her, her muscles contracting violently around him, her body shaking in reaction as the deep blush suffused her body. She was mindless as wave after wave of sensation swept over her, drowning her in pleasure.

"Yes, baby...that's it!" muttered Edward as she pulsed around him. With one final thrust he let go. _"Fuuuckkk_!_"_ he shouted, his penis twitching almost painfully as he spilled himself into her in endless gushes. He continued pumping into her, needing to draw every last bit of pleasure from their lovemaking.

After what seemed like hours, but in reality was only minutes, Edward slumped over her, his hair and skin covered with sweat. Not wanting to squash her, he rolled them over, still connected so that they could recover from that incredible lovemaking session.

Neither of them spoke, both just trying to calm their racing hearts and fill their deprived lungs. Boneless, Edward stroked her hair as she traced idle patterns on his chest. It felt so _right_ to be here, as close as two people could get after having shared an intimacy many could only imagine.

"Guess that was worth the wait, huh?" Bella asked against his skin, too drained to lift her head.

"Most definitely," he agreed. "I'd abstain for another six weeks if it meant doing that again."

Bella chuckled. "I don't think we have to go that extreme, my love."

Edward lifted her head with his fingers and smiled down at her. "I love you, my Bella. My everything."

"And you're my everything, Edward. My love. My life."

With Edward's help, Bella took off the shoes and stockings, then snuggled as close as she could as they fell into a deep contented sleep.

**A/N: Isn't Daddyward just too cute! What do you think?**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: Well guys, this is the last proper chapter! OMG I'm going to miss it! I'll be adding an epilogue as well as two outtakes and that will be it. I've been asked by a number of you if I plan to write a sequel. At this point, I have to say no. I just can't think what I could write that wouldn't be repeating myself and risk boring you. I would probably have to add some angst and I really don't want to do this to the story. I didn't want to make it all angsty and prefer to leave it on an upbeat note. I have another story in the works but I'll give you more details later.**

**I'll write more after the epilogue but I just want to sincerely thank all of you have given me such support throughout the whole story. Your reviews and encouragement have truly been overwhelming and I never imagined so many of you would come to love this story when I started. I was quite nervous when I began about how it would be received and the support has blown my mind. So thank you and I love all of you for it.**

**To my amazement, Babies has been nominated for a Shimmer Award in the Best Fragile (All Human) category! I want to thank whoever nominated me - I was truly thrilled. Voting starts on 27 June for a month. So head on over to www(dot)shimmerawards(dot)webs(dom)com when voting starts. **

**I forgot to mention it last chapter but I want to give MrsKatyCullen a huge thanks for going over each chapter and pointing out my mistakes. I really appreciate your efforts.**

Chapter 34

"Just one more push."

"Yes, that's it."

"Now. Push now."

"Nearly there. Nearly there."

"Damn, I lost it."

"You're doing it wrong. Let me."

"It worked before. Just let me try again."

"Okay, short, smooth movements should do the trick."

"Almost there. Almost there. Yes!"

Bella, Alice and Victoria burst out laughing at the exhilaration in the men's voices as they finally managed to thread the electrical wire through the wall in order to connect the speakers to the surround sound system in the new family room.

It was mid-May and Bella and Edward's new house was finally finished. It had been delayed due to a couple of weeks of incessant rain back in March but now they were finally preparing to move in.

Most of their new furniture was being delivered over the coming week but Jasper and Jacob had volunteered to help them move their existing furniture. Alice and Victoria came over to assist Bella put everything to rights. Esme and Carlisle were doing grandparent duty and looking after the babies at their house. Esme had helped Bella with the colour schemes and they had spent numerous hours searching furniture and antique stores looking for the perfect pieces. The end result was going to be a warm, stylish house with solid furniture that would stand the test of time and children.

Edward had purchased a huge flat screen television and all the accompanying gadgets. When Bella had protested, he'd insisted that it would be entirely necessary for when the guys came over to watch a game. Bella had given in and asked if they were going to get an electrician to install it and connect the surround sound speakers. As if the question was an affront to his manhood, Edward had insisted that he could do the job himself, with a little help.

Thus, Edward, Jacob and Jasper had spent the better part of the last two hours threading wire through walls, cursing and cussing when things went wrong, celebrating when it worked and generally keeping the girls entertained at their displays of manliness. Bella refrained from telling them that an electrician would have finished ages ago. Why ruin their fun showing off for their women?

"How many more speakers to wire up?" asked Alice with a smirk in the girls' direction.

"Um…," replied Jasper, looking around.

"Three, I think," said Edward.

"Uh huh," nodded Alice. "So it's taken nearly two hours to wire up these two and you only have three to go?"

At her question, the men seemed to realise that they could be hours yet and maybe calling a professional would have been the best option. They looked at each other, chagrin in their eyes. When they saw the amused smiles on their girls' faces, their resolve was strengthened.

"We'll be fine. We've got the hang of it now," declared Edward, reaching for his beer that Bella handed him.

"Yeah, no problem. Should only take another half hour, tops," agreed Jacob.

"Piece of cake," insisted Jasper.

"Okay then. We'll head back upstairs," said Bella, giving Edward a quick kiss.

The three women were giggling hysterically when they got upstairs. "Did you smell the testosterone in there?" gasped Bella.

"My God!" laughed Victoria. "Do you think they'll get finished sometime this year?"

"Me, big macho man. This stuff is in my genes. I don't need no electrician," grunted Alice in a deep voice, pretending to stalk around the room. The women were practically rolling on the floor laughing, their stomachs aching.

Downstairs, the reality of the amount to do was dawning on the men. There were bits of wire all over the place; tools, speakers, wrappings all over the floor.

"Do you really think we'll finish in half an hour?" asked Jasper doubtfully, looking around.

Edward and Jacob looked at each other and shrugged.

"They're probably laughing at us up there," said Jake.

"Yeah," agreed Edward. "But damned if I'm ringing an electrician. We can do this guys! We're not going to let a piece technology beat us, are we?"

"Hell no!" answered Jasper and Jake.

"Back to work guys and if it takes all night, we're getting this wired up!" declared Edward to his men in arms.

"Let's do it!" said Jake, picking up the drill. "Where next?"

To everyone's surprise, not least the guys, they managed to get the sound system wired up just over an hour later but there was no rest for the wicked. Bella needed them to carry some furniture up the stairs. Top of the list was their bed, which Bella had found at an antiques store a couple of months before. It was strong and solid and she had fallen in love with it at first sight.

The guys had pulled it apart as much as possible but it was still very heavy. Sweating with exertion as they carried parts of the bed upstairs, Edward took off his t-shirt and was clad in only his low-riding jeans.

As they entered the bedroom, Bella looked up and felt her mouth water as she watched the play of muscles in Edward's arms and back. A bead of sweat travelled down his back as they moved the bed into place and she wanted to lick it off so badly, she was tempted to kick everyone out so that she could rip those sexy jeans off him, throw him onto the half assembled bed and screw him senseless.

Edward looked up just as Bella was licking her lips and he caught the expression on her face. His green eyes darkened with reciprocated desire. He walked over to her, grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close, her hands resting on his hard chest.

"Like what you see?" he growled sexily into her ear as his hand traced seductive circles on her back.

"Oh yeah," she whispered back. "God I want to rip those jeans off you."

Edward gave her that sexy smile that just turned her to mush and kissed her, his tongue tracing over her lips.

"Hey guys! Can you two wait until we've left? Your bed's not even ready yet."

Pulling away, her pulse racing, Bella turned to look at the amused faces of their helpers. Alice was standing there tapping her foot with impatience. "Sorry," she grinned in embarrassment as she pulled out of Edward's embrace, his sexy chuckle doing incredible things to her.

Finally, as the sun was setting, the move was completed. All the furniture that Bella was keeping had been put in place. Over the following week, the rest would be delivered as well as Edward's piano. He didn't want to risk damaging it so he'd hired professionals to bring it from Esme's house. After his television, he was most excited about finally having his piano nearby whenever he felt like playing.

"Thanks for all your help today," said Edward as they sat on the back steps having a drink to celebrate the end of their hard work.

"Yeah, we really appreciate it," agreed Bella.

"It was fun," said Alice. "Especially watching you guys putting the sound system together." This set the girls off again.

"Yeah, very funny," scowled Jake before chuckling himself.

Edward looked at his watch and reminded everyone that they were having dinner at Esme's when they went to pick up their children. The other two couples headed home to clean up before meeting later for dinner.

Carrying the glasses to her new kitchen, Bella couldn't help the feeling of satisfaction at finally moving into the house they hoped to spend the rest of their lives in as they raised their family. She put the glasses into the dishwasher and ran her hand over the dark granite bench, imagining all the meals they would share here. She could see Daniel coming home from school, ravenous after a busy day, sitting at the kitchen counter with a friend as they devoured their snacks before racing outside to play.

The large bay window gave Bella an excellent view of the backyard, enabling her to keep an eye on Daniel and hopefully any siblings he might have as she cooked. As per her instructions, a number of trees were kept intact near the house, with plans to build a tree house. The gardens still needed work but Esme was rubbing her hands in anticipation at the chance of working her magic. The two of them worked out a preliminary plan of what was going to be planted where and Esme had been sourcing plants already. Bella knew that in a year or so, the gardens would be a wonderful haven.

Lost in her daydreams, she didn't notice Edward coming in until he wrapped his arms around her waist as he bent down and took an earlobe into his mouth. His hand wandered under her t-shirt, stroking the silky skin of her abdomen

"Happy?" he asked huskily, pressing up against her.

Bella nodded, turning her head to meet his lips with hers. Their tongues met softly at first, moving to and fro as their heartbeats sped up. Turning in his arms, Bella ran her hands over Edward's bare torso, tracing the indentations of his muscles then moving around his waist. Their kiss became more heated as he pressed himself into her, letting her feel his hardness.

"Bella," he murmured. "You're so damned sexy." His mouth left hers as it moved lower, sucking gently on her throat, his hands moving up and cupping her breasts, pinching her nipples over the material of her bra.

"Edward, please. I need you. Now." Her hands moved down under the waistband of his jeans, cupping his taut behind as she tried to pull him closer to where she needed him.

"Yes," he replied, stepping back. Without another word, he pulled off her t-shirt and bra, leaning down to take a nipple in his mouth.

"Mmm," moaned Bella as she scrambled with the button on his jeans, trying to get the offending garment off him.

Still sucking her nipple, Edward wrenched her shorts and panties down in one go, letting her step out of them before lifting her up onto the kitchen bench and pushing her legs open. Without a word, he bent down and licked her, causing Bella to groan out loud and open her legs even wider.

"Oh god, Edward. You make me feel so good," she purred, leaning back on her hands and throwing her head back.

He put his hands under her bottom and pulled her closer, his tongue driving her crazy.

Bella could feel an orgasm building but she wanted to feel him inside her. "Edward, fuck me, please," she moaned as her hips writhed in time with his tongue.

Hearing Bella use profanity was such a turn on that Edward stood up and discarded his jeans in one swift movement, his penis straining towards her. Pulling her to the edge of the bench, he teased her, coating himself with her juices.

Bella sat up and pulled his mouth to hers, crying out as he entered her in one go, burying himself fully in her honeyed warmth.

"God Bella," he moaned. "You make me lose my mind," he ground out as he began thrusting into her.

"Oh Edward, yes! Harder!" she gasped as she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him as close as possible.

They were both ravenous for each other and their lovemaking was hard and fast. Edward could feel beads of sweat drip down his body as he pounded into Bella, her whimpers of pleasure driving him insane.

It wasn't long before Bella tipped her head back, her legs tightening as she cried out. "Edward! Oh shit! _Unghhh...ahh...I'm._..." She gave a loud, keening cry as she became lost in sensation, her entire body throbbing from the orgasm Edward drew from her.

"_Baby_! Oh fuck!" Her walls were clamping down on him and he was powerless to stop himself climaxing, his breath coming in great heaving gasps as he spilled himself into her, his hips thrusting urgently as he tried to draw every last possible sensation from their joining.

They slumped against each other, their bodies glistening from their exertions. Bella could feel the hard bench digging into her now that she had come back to earth.

Edward lifted his head and kissed her deeply, longingly. Several kisses later, he pulled away, smiling down at her languorous eyes. "Who would have thought moving house would have turned you on so much?" he teased.

"A guy in nothing but low jeans just does it for me," she replied cheekily.

"So it could have been any guy?" he smirked.

"_Well_...a hot bod like yours helps."

"Pleased to be of service, ma'am."

"So, we've managed to christen the kitchen," declared Bella, looking around.

"How many rooms left?" asked Edward with a chuckle.

Bella laughed and pushed him back. "We'd better get a move on. We're supposed to be getting cleaned up or they'll start dinner without us."

"That was totally worth missing out on entrees for," said Edward, kissing her throat.

"Speak for yourself," protested Bella. "I'm starving." With Edward's help, she got off the bench, picked up her clothes and headed towards the stairs. Turning at the door, she turned and waggled her finger at him. "How about we christen the shower next?"

Edward didn't need a second invitation.

**oooOOOoooOOOooo**

"How's my sweetheart?" exclaimed Bella as she bent down to pick up Daniel, who had been sitting on the floor watching his cousins play. When he saw his parents, he waved his arms in the air in excitement, his little body wriggling frantically, threatening to topple over. Gurgles of laughter escaped him as Bella blew raspberries on his neck. "Were you a good boy for Granny and Grandpa?"

In response, Daniel grabbed hold of her hair and pulled her face to his, giving her slobbery, open mouthed kisses. Bella laughed as she looked into her little boy's eyes, just like his father's. The love she felt for her baby was the purest thing she'd ever felt. "Mommy missed her little man."

Daniel had been watching Alyssa and Robbie toddling around the large room, watched over by Carlisle. Robbie had been walking for a couple of months now and was like a little tornado, getting into everything that wasn't tied down or locked up. He'd gone from walking to running everywhere pretty much straight away and Victoria had her hands full. He had celebrated his first birthday few weeks before with Esme in her element organising everything.

Alyssa, by contrast had only just begun walking and she still looked like she was going home from a night full of booze, all wobbly and unsteady. Every time she fell back down, Daniel burst out laughing, the entertainment provided by his cousins better than the toys around him. When Alyssa tried to keep up with Robbie, it inevitably ended with her back on her bottom.

"Daddy's feeling left out," complained Edward, his arms stretched out to take his son. When Bella handed him over, Edward lifted Daniel high in the air, spinning around as the baby squealed in delight. Pulling him close, Edward kissed his son and held him tightly. "Hey little guy. Ready to sleep in your brand new bedroom?" Daniel answered by sucking on Edward's nose.

"Hey, you finally made it," laughed Alice as she walked in and picked up Alyssa. "We were having bets on how long it would take you two to make it here."

Bella blushed as Edward gave her a sly glance and turned to his sister. "Like you and Jasper didn't christen the rooms of your house."

"Well, not all in one night," quipped Alice.

Dinner that night was dominated by talk of Charlie's wedding in a couple of weeks. He and Kara were having a small wedding, just family and close friends. Charlie liked the limelight even less than Bella and was already adamant that he wasn't getting into another suit until Daniel's wedding. Kara had been granted residency and had moved to Forks permanently. Bella was glad to see her father happy and the icing on the cake was that Kara was an excellent cook as well.

They had shared many meals with Charlie and Kara, giving Charlie a chance to play with his grandson. Daniel had Charlie completely wrapped around his tiny finger. Bella had caught him talking baby talk to Daniel one night, the baby engrossed in his grandfather. Charlie had even taken to just dropping by, ostensibly to see Bella but she knew better. Daniel was the light of Charlie's life, just like his parents.

Later that night, they settled Daniel into his new bedroom making sure his monitor was switched on even though his bedroom was next to theirs. With a last kiss for their baby, Edward took Bella's hand and led her back downstairs and out to the back porch. Esme and Carlisle had given them a large outdoor patio swing as a house-warming gift and on this warm night it was a perfect place to sit and look at the starlit sky which framed the backdrop to the mountains in the distance. On the way, Edward grabbed a bottle of champagne and a couple of glasses. Sitting on the swing, Edward poured them a glass each.

"A toast to our new home," he began, his free arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "I honestly don't know what I did to deserve everything I have. A beautiful home, a wonderful family, a son I adore and a wife I love passionately but I know I thank God every day for all my blessings. I can see us sitting here in fifty years time, watching our great-grandchildren playing in the gardens and still thinking you are the most beautiful woman in the world," he said, looking at Bella tenderly as he lifted his glass.

Bella clinked her glass with his. "To our new home. To our little family. To us. Yes, I too can see us, two wrinkled oldies who still hold hands and love each other as much as we do today. And I love you passionately too, my love. Always."

They took a sip of their champagne, kissed tenderly for several moments then sat back and spent the next few hours simply talking and enjoying each other's company before heading up to their bedroom where they made love again to celebrate all their blessings.

**oooOOOoooOOOooo**

"You all have a great time and take care of my baby grandson, okay?" said Charlie as he gave Daniel a big hug.

Their flight to Hawaii had been called and they were preparing to head through the gate to start their holiday. Charlie and Kara had offered to drive them to Seattle, an offer gratefully accepted. Charlie was looking ten years younger since his marriage to Kara, his contentment evident for all to see. Bella would never tell him but he was obviously enjoying Kara's cooking and her spoiling of him. Bella was glad he had someone to look after him all the time and that he was no longer alone.

As Bella's time to return to work had approached she began to realise that she was nowhere near ready to leave Daniel. She simply couldn't bear the thought of leaving him for eight or more hours a day while he was so little. He needed her and she needed him. Edward supported whatever decision she made. Bella had thought seriously about it and as much as she loved her work, she loved her son more. She knew there would come a time when she would want to return to midwifery, even if only on a part time basis while Daniel was young, but for the time being she needed to be a mom first. Bella knew she was lucky to be able to make the choice, unlike many. She spoke to her supervisors at the hospital, and while they were disappointed to lose her for the time being, they understood her decision. They assured Bella that the moment she felt ready to return to let them know and they would welcome her back with open arms.

Relieved that the decision had been made, they began to prepare for their trip. They were leaving the day after Alyssa's first birthday party, which, as her godparents they couldn't possibly miss. Typical of Alice, the party had been a toddler's paradise, with jumping castles, balloons and even baby animals. Bella could just imagine future parties when Alyssa was old enough to actually understand what was going on!

Bella and Edward celebrated their first wedding anniversary by having a quiet, intimate dinner in Port Angeles. Daniel had been left with his grandparents for the evening but Bella couldn't bear to leave him all night and they had stopped to pick him up. Since the trip to Hawaii was to celebrate their anniversary, the actual day had been low key.

Their final call for boarding was announced so goodbyes and hugs were hurriedly exchanged. Daniel got an extra hug and kiss from Charlie and Kara who promised to be here to pick them up when they returned.

Edward had the baby in his arms, Bella beside him as they walked towards the gate. Daniel was looking around with interest at all the people rushing by, his chubby cheeks full of smiles at the strangers who smiled back.

The attendant who took their boarding passes flirted outrageously with Edward. "Oh, what a gorgeous baby! Looks just like his father, so handsome," she smiled coquettishly. "If you need anything, _anything_ at all, please don't hesitate to ask." Her words said one thing, her eyes another.

While Bella was now used to women admiring her husband, this was a bit too much. Pushing in front of Edward, Bella reached for the passes. "Thanks, but my _husband_ will be fine. He has _everything_ he needs," she glared at the attendant. "I doubt coming on to the passengers is in your job description, is it?"

The attendant had the grace to blush furiously and hurriedly handed her the passes, wishing them a good flight. Bella snatched the passes, grabbed Edward's arm and marched them down the aerobridge onto the plane. Bella had carried Daniel's seat with them and they quickly attached it to the seat and settled Daniel into it for takeoff.

Edward reached over and took Bella's hand. "You know, to see you all jealous is a real turn on," he whispered with a grin.

"Humph!" growled Bella. "What a nerve! I was right there!"

"Ah baby, you know you're the only woman I want," he replied, squeezing her hand.

Bella squeezed back and sighed. "I know. I should be used to women ogling you by now."

"I love you, baby."

"I know. I love you too."

Daniel chose that moment to remind everyone of his presence. "Mum..mum..mum."

The flight passed uneventfully with Daniel sleeping for most of it, much to Bella's relief. He had a little cry when his ears popped on the descent but a drink of water helped a little. They were met by a limousine at Honolulu airport which transported them to the Halekulani hotel. The 5-star hotel was set on five acres on the oceanfront with virtually every room having an ocean view.

"This place has a great spa for you to get some pampering," informed Edward as the limousine pulled up at reception.

"Sounds good," replied Bella, taking hold of Daniel. "It looks lovely so far."

After check-in they were escorted to their suite which had an amazing view of the ocean and Diamond Head. A cot had been brought in for Daniel along with a welcome basket of fruit and champagne. The rooms were light and airy, befitting a tropical paradise.

"Oh, this is lovely," exclaimed Bella as she looked around. The porters brought in their bags, told them of some of the things of interest in the area and promptly left. "Isn't this lovely, baby?" she crooned to Daniel. "Wait until we have a dip in the ocean. I can guarantee it's a lot warmer than down at La Push."

Edward took both of them in his arms and kissed them. "Happy anniversary, my love."

"Happy anniversary, my darling," she replied. "Oh, we're going to have such are good time, aren't we?" Daniel just dribbled in response.

Like most young families, they spent the days in Hawaii exploring and enjoying the sun and sand. Bella was careful to make sure Daniel was well covered with sunscreen and hat before they took him out. To their delight, he proved to be a little water baby, squealing when they played with him in the pool or the calm ocean. His chubby little arms and legs would kick ferociously in the water as Edward would float around with him. Bella took the opportunity to get a bit of a tan, careful not to burn or turn red. Despite his bronze hair, Edward just turned a golden brown, making it even harder for Bella to keep her hands off him.

The hotel provided a babysitting service so they could manage to have a couple of late dinners. Daniel was asleep before they left so he never even realised his parents were gone. The hotel had five restaurants and they chose to eat at one located right on the water. To others, they looked like any other couple on honeymoon, eyes only for each other; their gentle kisses and hand holding proclaiming their feelings.

After dinner, Edward suggested a walk on the beach. The lights from the resort provided a soft glow as they walked along the water's edge, their shoes dangling from their hands. A light breeze ruffled Bella's white, floaty dress as she dipped her feet in the dark water. Several times along the way, they stopped and kissed passionately, lost in a romantic haze. When they returned to their room, they dismissed the babysitter and made love for hours, now that Daniel slept through the night.

Their time on Hawaii was idyllic and they were both sorry to leave but at the same time eager to see their families and home again.

**oooOOOoooOOOooo**

"Mama! Mama!"

"Merry Christmas, sleepy head."

Bella opened one eye and saw the two loves of her life smiling at her, their identical green eyes glowing.

"Mama! Mama!"

Reaching out, she caressed Daniel's head as Edward bent down and lifted him onto the bed. Daniel quickly crawled up and threw himself on Bella's chest.

"Hi sweetie! Don't you look good!" she grinned, looking up at Edward.

Daniel was now thirteen months old and he had begun walking three weeks earlier, right on his first birthday. Now he toddled about the house at a million miles an hour, wearing them both out as they tried to ensure he stayed out of trouble. Now, he was wearing reindeer ears and a reindeer one-piece costume. Edward seemed to get a kick out of dressing him up for Christmas.

"Dada, dada," said Daniel, reaching out for his father. Edward threw himself down onto the bed and the little boy scooted in between, giggling like mad when they both threw their arms around him and squeezed him tight while blowing raspberries onto his neck. "No, no, no!" he laughed. 'No' was his favourite word at the moment.

Bella loved mornings like this when they could relax in bed, playing with Daniel. She had so much to be thankful for. She watched as Edward lifted Daniel up in the air, making aeroplane noises as he made flying motions. They were so alike, father and son. And she adored them both.

"Come on guys, let's see what Santa brought," she said, getting out of bed. Edward followed with Daniel in his arms as she unlatched the gate at the bottom of the stairs. Now that Daniel was walking she needed to take care that he didn't climb the stairs on his own.

As expected, Edward had gone crazy again and the tree was loaded with gifts. The next little while was taken up with watching Daniel pull at the gift wrapping. To Bella's amusement, he seemed more interested in the mounds of paper than the actual gifts themselves.

Edward and Bella sat together, arms around each other as Daniel ran crazily through all the paper, laughing as he kicked it out of the way, turning around and doing it all over again. Sometime in the midst of all this, Bella managed to get breakfast for all of them and it was soon time for Daniel's nap before they went over to Esme's for their Christmas lunch.

"Darling, can you come up here? I've got one more thing for you," called Bella from the stairs.

"What's up?" asked Edward as he bounded up the stairs. "I thought you gave me all your gifts?"

"Just one more. Sit," she commanded. Edward sat on the bed, intrigued as she pulled a box out of her bedside drawer. Sitting next to him, she handed him the gift-wrapped box.

Edward took the box, looked at it quizzically and began to pull at the ribbon. Bella bit her lip in anticipation of his reaction when he saw what was in it.

Finally, he opened the box and looked inside, sitting completely still as he saw what it contained. Eyes glittering, he looked at her, the smile threatening to erupt.

"Bella? Is this…what I…?"

Bella nodded, her eyes filling with tears. With shaking hands, he pulled out the pregnancy tester. In the window, a bright blue bar was visible.

"I'm pregnant," said Bella, her lips trembling.

With a cry of delight, Edward swept her into his arms and held her tightly. "Baby! Oh my love! I can't believe it! We're going to have another baby!"

He took Bella's face in his hands tenderly as she nodded, tears of happiness falling down her face. His eyes glistened with his own tears of joy before he leaned down and kissed her, pouring all his love and joy into it. The kiss turned passionate in no time and Edward made sweet, tender love to her. His touch was full of wonder as the realisation that they were to be blessed with another child, a sibling for Daniel, sunk in.

Afterwards, they lay together, his hand caressing her stomach. "Thank you, my love. I don't think you could possibly realise how much I love, adore and worship you," he whispered against her lips.

"If it's half as much as I love, adore and worship you, then I have some idea," she replied. "Merry Christmas, my darling."

"Oh baby, every day with you is like Christmas."

"Always."

"Forever."

**A/N: God, I really will miss these two. **

**Let me know what you thought of the last chapter.**


	35. Epilogue

**A/N: Hi guys! Sorry it's taken so long to get this epilogue up. I've been distracted by the World Cup and the subsequent lack of sleep which made writing anything really difficult. Things aren't going to improve any with Le Tour de France starting. I'm addicted to that - I love watching those lovely French towns and villages and dream of visiting some of them one day. **

**I've also been distracted by Eclipse. I've seen it 3 times and I just loved it. And I've developed a serious case of Robsession - he's just so gorgeous in that movie, it's ridiculous. I couldn't even focus on Jacob's abs! Oh, to be Bella for just one day *sigh***

**I'll write more in my AN at the end but I just want to remind you all that Babies has been nominated for a Shimmer Award in the Best Fragile (All Human) category. Voting is now open until July 24 at www(dot)shimmerawards(dot)webs(dot)com/nominees. It's my first nomination ever and I'm still super excited about it.**

Epilogue

"Mommy! Mommy!"

Bella glanced up from the couch where she had finally managed to get the baby to sleep.

"Mommy!" Hurtling around the corner came the little miniature pink fairy, bronze locks all askew. "Mommy! Danny got a goal!"

Hot on her heels came Daniel with his friend Thomas, followed much more sedately by Edward, carrying another sleeping child on his shoulder.

"Did he?" smiled Bella, reaching out her free hand to hug Stephanie, the family's self-appointed princess.

Stephanie nodded her head furiously, curls bouncing where they had escaped her ponytail. "Yep. He kicked it and it got in the goal. Daddy and Granpa Charlie were yelling. Natalie cried."

Bella looked up at her husband's face, laughing softly at his sheepish face. "Yelling?"

Edward shrugged his shoulder. "What can I say? We got so excited to see Dan score we cheered so loud poor little Natalie got a fright. She's worn out. How's Andrew?"

"Still a bit cranky but he's finally asleep," she replied looking down at the sleeping baby. "So sweetheart, did you win the game?" she asked Daniel, reaching out to give her eldest a kiss and hug.

Mindful of his little brother, Daniel hugged his mother. "Yeah. It was cool. I'm hungry."

Bella shook her head. He still loved his food. "Hi Thomas. Are you hungry too?" Thomas nodded eagerly.

"Okay then. Let Dad and I put the twins to bed and I'll make us some lunch."

"Cool! Come on Tom, let's go to the tree house." With a loud clutter, the two boys ran out the back towards the tree house that been built a couple of years ago.

Followed by Stephanie, Edward and Bella carried the sleeping eight-month old twins to their bedroom for their afternoon nap.

Daniel was now nearly six years old and he took his role as the oldest sibling very seriously. He was very protective of his sister and the twins and was a great help to Bella, helping fetch things when her hands were full with the babies. Bella often said he had an old head on new shoulders. She and Edward adored their little man, their miracle baby. Bella had bawled like a baby on his first day of kindergarten, Edward's eyes suspiciously moist as well. Daniel also shared a special relationship with Charlie, often spending special time with 'Granpa Charlie'. Getting to ride in the police cruiser was the coolest thing ever as far as Daniel was concerned.

To their delight, Stephanie had been born nearly two years later and she had instantly stolen her daddy's heart. She had inherited Edward's wild bronze hair and Bella's eyes. The opposite of her brother, whom she idolised. The moment she looked at Edward, he was putty in her hands. She was truly a daddy's girl. She loved her mommy, but daddy was the first person she ran to when she wanted a cuddle. She was also a headstrong little miss and Bella had to put her foot down on occasion, remonstrating with Edward for letting her get away with murder. More often than not, she flashed her dimples, told Edward she loved him and Bella lost the battle.

Stephanie was also a real 'girly' girl. Her room was painted in her favourite colour pink and Bella had lost count of the number of dolls she had, as well as doll's clothes and accessories. And she simply adored dressing up, favouring fairy outfits at the moment, although she had gone through a number of Disney character costumes. Stephanie loved shopping with her Auntie Alice and Alyssa because she knew she would invariably get a pretty dress out of it. After begging her mother and twisting Edward around her little finger, she was going to be starting ballet and dance classes in a few weeks. They had bought her some ballet slippers and she wore them every chance she got.

After Stephanie was born, Bella and Edward decided to try for one more child and they were overjoyed when Bella discovered she was pregnant barely six months later. Their joy turned to sadness when Bella miscarried at ten weeks. They were both devastated. Many nights were spent with Edward comforting her while she cried. They both mourned for their little lost baby. Daniel and Stephanie were their comforts during this difficult time, reminding them how precious their children were.

Nearly three years passed and they began to believe that there were to be no more babies in their future so they were both astonished to find out that not only was Bella pregnant again, but she was carrying twins. Andrew and Natalie were born a month early and spent a week in special care before they were pronounced healthy enough to take home. Stephanie considered herself their second mother, letting Bella know when the babies were crying. Bella had found Stephanie a number of times singing her favourite nursery rhymes to them.

The twins were little miniatures of their parents. Natalie had Bella's colouring and eyes while Andrew was a little Edward clone. Edward often joked that they managed to produce 'his' and 'hers' babies. Bella didn't get much sleep for the first three months of their lives but she couldn't imagine their lives without them now. After the twins' birth, they decided that their family was complete and neither missed the irony of Edward getting a vasectomy.

Edward absolutely revelled in the family he didn't think he'd ever have. Watching Bella and their children never failed to fill him with sheer happiness. They were the light of his life, the reason for his existence. Each child held a special corner of his heart. Daniel was his miracle child, his firstborn. He and Bella had learned the ropes with their little man. Stephanie was his little princess. She could have him in the palm of her hand with just a dimpled smile and an "I love you, Daddy." And the twins were gorgeous little 'mini me's'. They were full of smiles and loved their older brother and sister's attention. As was often the case with twins, they had their own special connection. They slept in the same room and often looked for the other when separated.

They were both teething at the moment but Andrew was having a harder time than his sister. He had been a bit feverish and grumpy so Bella elected to stay at home with him while Edward took Stephanie and Natalie to watch Daniel's soccer game.

The twins were laid in their cots for their sleep, the drapes drawn to block the light. "Come on, Princess. Let's get lunch ready for Mommy. She's been busy with Andrew and needs a rest."

"Okay Daddy," agreed Stephanie, bounding down the steps in her fairy outfit.

Edward took Bella in his arms and lightly kissed her. "Tired, love? You were up a lot during the night."

"Yeah. He seems a little better so I hope he'll sleep well tonight."

"Go have a nap. I'll watch the kids. We're going to Alice's later, remember?"

"You sure?"

"Of course. Go. I'll get their lunch."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too."

They kissed tenderly for a few moments before Bella went to bed for a nap while Edward headed downstairs, smiling to himself. He and Bella loved each other as much now as they did at the beginning. Maybe even more so, with their children creating a bond between them that could never be broken. Life was good.

**oooOOOoooOOOooo**

When the family got together nowadays, it was usually a hive of nosy, bustling activity. The main feature was the loud laughter, chatter and occasional tears and fights of all the children present.

Alice was having a party to celebrate Jasper's birthday and the house was full of people. As Bella and Edward arrived with their brood, they were met at the door by Alyssa and Robbie, who instantly dragged Daniel and Stephanie off to play with the other children.

"Hello darlings," cried Esme as she bent over to give them a hug before they disappeared.

"Hi Granny," said Stephanie, returning the hug and giving Esme a kiss before being picked up and cuddled by Carlisle. "Poppy Carly, Danny got a goal at soccer!"

"Wow! That's great, Daniel." He put Stephanie down and gave Daniel a hug. "I'll be at your game next week since I'm not working then. I hope I can see you score another one."

"I'll try Poppy."

Waiting impatiently, the two children were dragged away by their cousins.

"How are my two angels?" cooed Esme at the twins.

"Andrew was a bit feverish because of his teething but he's picked up now," replied Bella, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, poor baby," said Esme, taking hold of Andrew while Carlisle took Natalie and carried them out to meet some new people.

Free of children for the moment, Bella and Edward made their way into the house, greeting friends and acquaintances as they went.

"Hi guys!" greeted Alice, carrying her younger daughter on her hip. Ashley was nearly two years old and took after Jasper in looks. Like Alyssa's birth, Alice struggled with Ashley and decided that she was stopping at two. Poor Jasper was destined to be surrounded by females everywhere he turned. Not that he was complaining. His girls were his treasures.

"Hi Squirt. Hi baby," smiled Edward, kissing both of them on the cheek.

"What's up, Ashley?" asked Bella, stroking her blond hair.

"Oh, she's tired and a bit cranky. She refused to take a nap today because of all the excitement of getting ready for the party. I'm paying for it now, aren't I, sweetheart?" Ashley smiled up at her uncle Edward before burying her face in her mother's shoulder. "I think I'll find Jasper and hand her over for a while."

Following behind, they found Jasper and gave him their birthday gift. He took hold of Ashley, her little arms wrapping tightly around her daddy's neck.

"Thanks for the gift. It's a madhouse in here tonight!" he laughed.

They were joined by Rosalie and Emmett, who was holding their newborn daughter, Nikki. Bella had to smile at the sight of the huge man holding the tiny baby so carefully.

Rosalie and Bella began talking about the children, while the guys talked baseball. Rosalie's two boys, Riley and Jackson had joined the other kids outside. Rosalie was laughing as she told her about the way Emmett doted on Nikki, his baby girl.

"You'd think he was the only man ever to have a daughter, the way he carries on," she laughed.

"He looks so cute," agreed Bella.

"Who's cute?" Edward growled near her ear as he wrapped his arms around her.

"As if I would tell you," she retorted, earning herself a tickle around her waist.

A small commotion near the door signalled the arrival of Jacob and Victoria and their family. To Bella's delight, Jacob had found his happiness with Victoria and Robbie. It hadn't been without effort on both their parts; Victoria needing to work past her demons and her low self-worth, a product of the difficult life she had led and Jacob to convince her that she was he wanted and he would be there for both of them.

For Victoria, the clincher had been the way Jacob loved Robbie as if he was his father. Despite feeling like she didn't deserve someone like him, she just couldn't deny Robbie the chance to have a real father, one who cared for him, protected him but most importantly, loved him.

With Jacob she discovered that what she thought was love making was just an awful travesty of the words. What she thought was normal was just selfishness on James' part. Her whole time with James was a travesty. The only good thing out of that was Robbie. Jacob taught her how a man treats the woman he loves, how her pleasure was as important, if not more so, than his. The first time they made love Victoria had cried afterwards. Jacob had been frantic, thinking he'd hurt her. When she calmed down she explained that she was crying for all the lost years when she was treated like garbage. She cried for what could have been if she had met the Cullen's years before; met Jacob years before.

Six months after they finally consummated their relationship, Victoria and Robbie moved in with Jacob. In the intervening months, she had completed high school by correspondence, unable to believe her grades. Jacob had been her rock, taking Robbie when she needed to study or complete assignments, helping her when she had trouble with the work. On the day she passed her exams, Jacob took her out for a celebratory dinner and to her astonishment, asked her to marry him.

The look in his eyes had been so vulnerable, as if he was preparing himself for her refusal. She had looked at his beautiful face, and knew that this man would give her what she used to dream about during those awful years in care. A man that truly loved her. With tears falling down her face, she had said yes. The next day, she moved in with Jacob as they began working out when the wedding was to be.

Not being in any rush, their wedding took place a year after Jacob's proposal and Victoria found out she was pregnant only a few weeks later. Jacob was absolutely over the moon and when little Charlotte was born, delivered by Edward, he was ecstatic. He was careful not to ever let Robbie think he was any less loved. Before their wedding, Jacob had legally adopted Robbie and his name changed to Black. Of course, Robbie would need to be told the truth eventually, especially considering he looked nothing like Jacob, but they hoped that he would know that Jacob considered himself Robbie's true father.

Only eighteen months after Charlotte's birth, their son Taylor made his entrance into the world. A cheeky, happy little boy who definitely took after his father, he was already a little scoundrel and Victoria had her hands full with him.

Victoria still harboured a dream to become a teacher and they were now exploring their options. One option was to move to Seattle temporarily while Victoria studied. Jacob's business had expanded to the point where he didn't actually need to be physically present at the business. If they went to Seattle, Jacob was considering expanding his business into the city to give him something to do. Between the two of them, they would somehow manage the needs of their family. Once Victoria graduated, they would return to Forks. It was home, after all.

Bella went outside with Victoria to check on the children. Jasper had ensured that his large backyard was as child safe as possible and the kids were either on the trampoline or in the girls' playhouse. Following them around was a veritable menagerie of pets. Alyssa was mad about animals and somehow managed to con her parents into letting her keep a number of strays she found, much to Edward's amusement. Bella had pointed out that they themselves had been talked into adopting a couple of them, namely their dog Toby and Stephanie's cat, Pebbles.

After an enjoyable night, they took their tired children home. The next half hour was spent getting all four to bed, and they breathed a sigh of relief when the last bedroom door was shut. Taking Bella's hand, Edward led them back to the haven of their bedroom. This was their time, when they stopped being 'parents' and simply became lovers.

Closing the door, Edward took her in his arms, hers encircling his neck as their lips melded, bodies pressing together as the familiar passion rose quickly between them.

"God, I love you," breathed Edward against her throat as his hands roamed over the body he knew so well, yet still filled him with wonder.

"Mmm, I love you too," replied Bella, her head tilted to the side to allow his lips to work their magic as her hands reached between them to pull at the buttons of his shirt. Her hands roamed over the ridges of his chest, loving the smooth, warm feel of him. Edward pulled off her top impatiently, freeing her breasts from their confinement. With a breathy sigh, Bella pressed her naked torso against his as her hands moved up to tangle in his hair, cut relatively short now and pulled his lips back to hers. Edward had grown impatient with his wild hair and had cut it, much to Bella's initial dismay. But when she saw it, she had a hard time not dragging him off to bed that instant. He looked so damn sexy with the shock of hair on top but cut close elsewhere.

Bending down, Edward buried his face between her breasts, kneading them roughly as his hips bucked into her, seeking relief. Her breathy sounds and gasps as he took her nipples into his mouth and sucked urgently drove him wild. One hand moved down and quickly unsnapped her jeans, moving under her panties to cup her, his finger moving slowly through the slickness there.

"Ahhh…" breathed Bella as he dipped his finger inside her. It didn't matter how long they had been together, he still made her body sing. She opened his jeans and quickly pushed them and his boxers down, freeing his glorious erection. Edward groaned against her nipple as she took his length in her hand, pumping him slowly, her thumb spreading the moisture at his head. When she lifted her finger and put it in her mouth, Edward gasped and frantically pulled off the rest of her clothes.

When they stepped out of their jeans, Edward lifted Bella up, her legs wrapping around him as they kissed urgently, his erection brushing her entrance making them both moan in anticipation. When Bella wriggled her hips, he groaned loudly as his tip lodged just inside her, his knees nearly buckling at the sensation.

"Oh god!" he moaned. "You drive me wild."

"Good," she replied breathlessly. "Oh please, I need to feel you."

Moving backwards until he reached the bed, he sat down on the edge, entering her fully as her knees rested on the bed on either side of his hips. Neither moved for a few moments as they savoured the feeling of being joined so intimately.

"Oh baby, you always feel so good," he breathed into her mouth.

In response, Bella dipped her tongue into his mouth, loving the taste of him, a taste she knew she couldn't live without and moved her hips, the jolt of pleasure shooting through her body.

"Oh Edward, I love you so much. So much."

Edward took hold of her hips and helped her move up and down over his shaft, her juices coating him liberally with her arousal. At first their movements were slow and deliberate, both enjoying the sensations of his body moving within hers but soon their pulses were racing and their breathing became ragged as they sped up, the friction building the tension unbearably.

Before long, Bella was frantically bouncing up and down in his lap, her hands gripping his shoulders as her nails dug into his skin, unnoticed by either of them. Her head was thrown back, bringing her breasts into relief, her nipples rigid. Edward took one into his mouth, biting gently. Bella felt the jolt of electricity down to her toes.

"Oh shit! Oh god, I'm so close!" she cried out as his hands pulled her hips down hard, feeling him buried so deep inside her.

"Fuck, that's incredible!" he ground out, his own hips bucking frantically up into her, matching her rhythm.

For the next few minutes, there was only the sounds of their moans and their bodies slapping together as they raced towards their peak, their skin glistening with sweat.

Edward growled loudly as she felt him swell even further inside her. "Oh god, Bella!" He lifted her right off him and slammed her back down and it was enough to send them both crashing over the edge.

"_Bella!_" he yelled out as he surged into her. Gripping her tightly, he muttered, "I love you, I love you," over and over as he poured himself into her, stunned as always but the sheer intensity of their lovemaking.

"_Ohh! Edwa…..!_" All rational thought fled as she became lost in him and the sensations he drew from her body. Every cell in her body felt alive in that moment.

Exhausted, they fell backwards onto the bed, Bella draped over Edward's body, completely boneless, and utterly satisfied. Slowly, their breathing returned to normal, Edward dropping tiny, loving kisses over her damp brow, his hands roaming aimlessly over her back.

Bella lifted her head and gave him a loving smile. "You certainly know how to make a girl speechless, Mr Cullen."

Chuckling, Edward kissed her softly. "Well, Mrs Cullen, you inspire me in so many ways. I truly love you, Bella," he said quietly, his eyes showing her the depths of his feelings. He looked at her like she was a gift from heaven itself. She couldn't stop her eyes from welling up.

Taking his head between her hands, her fingers missing his unruly hair for a moment, she leaned down and touched her nose with his. "And I truly, deeply, madly love you Edward. There's nothing I could ever want more than you." Giving him a slow, deep kiss she could feel his body stirring again beneath her. Pulling away, she gave him a cheeky smile. "Except maybe for you to grow your hair out again."

Edward laughed and pulled her down, crushing her in his arms. "Done," he replied before kissing her.

**oooOOOoooOOOooo**

The years rolled on as did all their lives. When the twins started school, Bella returned to midwifery, first on a part-time basis and then, when they were older back full time. She and Edward returned to working seamlessly together again. When Carlisle eventually retired, Edward was offered his position but Edward turned it down. He didn't want to be an administrator, he was a doctor and he wanted to be hands on. The hospital had expanded over the years as the population grew and he knew he'd rarely, if ever, get to work with patients if he accepted. Besides, he still enjoyed working with Bella.

The children all grew up and no one was really surprised when Daniel announced that he was going to join the police force, like his grandfather Charlie. He did a stint in Seattle before moving back to Forks, bring home his girlfriend, Kelsey. Bella and Edward couldn't have been prouder of him and Charlie was nearly fit to burst when Daniel became a policeman. Bella had worried about him when he was in Seattle but now he was home, she could relax.

Stephanie decided to follow in her beloved father's footsteps and became a doctor, going into paediatrics. She went to Dartmouth to study before going to Chicago for her residency. Her parents missed her terribly while she was gone. To their delight, she returned to Forks and fell in love with one of the new surgeons, Ricardo. Like her parents, she didn't wait long before they married.

The twins followed vastly different paths. Andrew showed great skill in baseball from an early age. As he got older he told his parents that he wanted to play professionally. Through his persistence, he managed to get picked up by a minor league team and it wasn't long before he caught the eye of some of the major teams. The Seattle Mariners gave him an opportunity which he grabbed with both hands. He now lived in Seattle and the family tried to get to as many home games as they could.

Natalie went into midwifery like her mother and was living with her brother in Seattle. Since he was away playing a lot of the time, she often had the place to herself. Besides, they were as close as twins got and they would have missed each other terribly if they lived in different cities. It suited everyone. Eventually, they would meet that special someone and things would change, but for the time being, they were happy with the arrangement. Bella and Edward made sure they got to Seattle as often as they could to ensure their babies were looking after themselves.

Victoria and Jacob did move to Seattle for a number of years with their children. When Victoria qualified as a teacher they returned to Forks where she got a job at one of the elementary schools in Port Angeles. No one who didn't know Victoria would ever have guessed at the hardships she had been through. She was now a happy, confident woman who knew she could do anything she put her mind to. And it was thanks to her husband Jacob, who had instilled this belief in herself. She thanked fate everyday for bringing Jacob and the Cullens into her life.

Robbie had grown up hero worshipping Jacob. He always knew deep down that Jacob wasn't his biological father and wasn't shocked when they told him the truth. Jacob was his father in every way that counted. When he finally found out the truth about the man who had sired him, he was thankful that he never had to meet the scum. Through spending hours with Jacob, he became a skilled mechanic, so much so, that we was offered a job working for a NASCAR team as one of the pit crew. It broke Victoria's heart to see him go, but he was so excited by the opportunity she had no choice but to put on a brave face and urge him to come home as often as possible.

His sister Charlotte became a teacher like her mother. When she returned from university, she ran into an old friend Riley. He was Alyssa and Ashley's cousin and though he was six years older, she had had a crush on him during her teenage years. He had seemed like an unattainable movie star from a fifteen year old's perspective. She hadn't seen him for at least two years and she was now a self-assured twenty two year old. A fact not lost on Riley. He wasted no time asking her out and were now engaged.

The baby of the family, Taylor proved to have quite a business brain. After college, he initially started working for Jacob, taking over the business side of things, much to Jacob's relief. With his business acumen, he expanded the business even further and was branching out. He now divided his time between Seattle and Forks, happily building his business empire.

As predicted, Alyssa grew into a beautiful woman, giving Jasper many a sleepless night as she got older. With her long black hair and blue eyes, boys had been after her like bees to honey since she became a teenager. To many a boy's dismay, she was more interested in her animals than any of them. She and Daniel were very close and he protected his cousin fiercely, much to Jasper's relief. Before Jacob moved away, she used to follow Robbie around like a puppy but when they returned years later, they seemed to antagonise each other. Alice and Victoria couldn't work it out.

Alyssa's dream was to become a vet, and no-one was surprised when she went off to college to study veterinary science. Robbie left around the same time and as a result, they didn't see each other for nearly seven years. They somehow never seemed to get back home at the same time. With her father's help, Alyssa set up her own veterinary practice in Forks and had been home for nearly six months when her Aunt Bella threw Uncle Edward a birthday party. Her sister, Ashley who was a fashion designer was coming up from LA for it.

Almost the first person she saw when she arrived with her family was Robbie and she couldn't stop her pulse racing as their eyes met. He had changed so much in seven years. He was no longer the boy she remembered. The boy who she had secretly been in love with during their teens. Whom she fought with in order to hide her feelings since she believed he would never feel the same way. The boy who broke her heart every time she saw him with another girl. It had been a relief to leave for college and when she heard he left town as well, she figured it was never meant to be.

Now he was a man. A gorgeous, sexy man and she felt like that teenager all over again. Only this time it was worse. She watched as his eyes travelled over her, seeming to burn her flesh. His blond hair was carelessly styled and his clothes faithfully hugged his muscles like a lover. Trying to get a grip on herself, Alyssa forced herself to look away and spent the next few hours trying to avoid him. Yet, she knew he watched her; she could feel his eyes on her. Needing some air, she went outside, heading for the old tree house that she, Daniel and Robbie used to hang out in when they were little. Lost in memories, she didn't hear anyone follow her out.

"Why won't you say hello to me?" asked the deep, gravelly voice.

Startled, Alyssa looked down from her perch and saw Robbie looking up at her, his eyes questioning. Her breath seemed to catch in her throat. He was so beautiful and she knew her heart was in danger of being lost to him all over again.

"I…I'm…sorry. H…hello," she replied quietly. "I didn't mean to be rude."

"Didn't you?" Looking up sharply, she could see what looked like hurt in his eyes. But that couldn't be true, could it?

"You look beautiful. But then, you always did," he murmured. Alyssa gazed at him in astonishment.

"Thanks. You look good too."

Robbie smiled his half-smile, the one that used to make her knees weak. "It's been seven years, Alyssa. We all change."

Alyssa nodded, then decided to get down. She felt silly talking to him from up here. As she climbed down, her foot slipped and she stumbled. Strong hands wrapped around her waist and caught her. Her breath faltered when those hands didn't let go immediately, instead her body was held against his, her back to him. Knowing she should step away, she couldn't seem to get her legs to move. She gave a gasp when she felt his lips on the nape of her neck, her skin burning where he touched it.

Confused, yet incredibly aroused, she didn't fight it when he turned her around, the desire in his eyes making her heart falter.

"Alyssa!" he breathed as he took her lips with his.

Without volition, she met him with equal passion, their arms locked around each other as they kissed ravenously. Alyssa couldn't comprehend what was happening but it just felt so good, so right. She had dreamed of this for so long.

They were both breathless when they pulled apart, staring at each other with a mixture of lust, wonder and confusion.

"Do you know how long I've wanted to do that?" he asked huskily. "Years. I've wanted you for years. I thought I'd got you out of my system but one look at you tonight and I'm lost, Alyssa."

Alyssa looked at him, unable to grasp what he was trying to tell her. "You…wanted…me?"

Robbie nodded, his eyes begging her to believe him. "God, yes. I've wanted you so badly. All I wanted in high school was to be with you but you seemed to hate me."

Alyssa licked her suddenly dry lips, his eyes watching the movement intently. "I…I thought you didn't like me. I thought I wasn't pretty enough for you when I saw you go out with all those girls."

"Not pretty enough? God Alyssa, you were, are, the most beautiful girl I've ever known. I thought I wasn't good enough for you." He looked intently at her. "Alyssa, I was so in love with you then."

Alyssa gasped in shock. Was that true? "In love with me?" Robbie nodded, his hand reaching out and cupping her cheek.

"Yes." He kissed her again, the passion rising instantaneously. "God, I want you."

"Yes, I want you too. I loved you then also," she admitted.

Robbie groaned against her mouth. "Let's give this a chance, Alyssa. Please." His eyes were pleading and she felt the sting of tears. "I don't want to waste another moment."

"What about your job? You'll be leaving again won't you?" she asked. She didn't know how she would cope saying goodbye to him.

"No. I left the team before I came back." Taking her hand, he lifted it to his lips. "To be honest, I left because I knew you were back. Mom told me. I knew it was stupid, but I wanted to be near you, maybe convince you to give me a chance." He looked intently at her. "Will you, Alyssa? Will you give us a chance?"

Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him close as she whispered against his lips. "Yes. Yes, Robbie, I want this. I want you."

Neither noticed when the other guests began singing "Happy Birthday" to Edward. They were lost in each other's arms.

**oooOOOoooOOOooo**

It was a warm summer's night and they were sitting arm in arm on the swing chair on the patio. It wasn't the original; that had given up the ghost many years ago, but this one was just as comfortable.

"Well, my love. Here's to forty wonderful years with you," said Edward, his bronze hair long since turned grey, but still as unruly and thick.

Turning her head, Bella kissed him. "Yes, forty truly magical years." Edward smiled at his Bella, her hair now grey, her body pleasantly rounded.

"You're still the most beautiful girl in the world, you know," he smiled as Bella put her head on his shoulder.

"And you're still the most handsome man that I ever saw," she replied.

Resting his head on hers, they looked out onto the mountains they both loved so much, the established gardens providing the foreground.

"We've had a good life, haven't we?" he mused.

"Yes, the best. We've certainly been blessed," she agreed.

"I love you, my lovely Bella."

"I'll always love you, my Edward."

They kissed softly, just as much in love as the day they got married. Probably more so.

Neither knew what the future held but they knew that they would always be together, in spirit, if not in body. They would treasure every day and one day, they would be together for all eternity.

Neither had any doubt about that.

**THE END**

**oooOOOoooOOOooo**

**A/N: *sniffle* I admit I got teary as I wrote those words. It's been such a rewarding ride writing this and I'm really going to miss it.**

**First up, Edward's short hair was inspired by that photo of Rob in the hammock *swoon*. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favour. Told you I've become Robsessed lately.**

**Now, I want to thank MrsKatyCullen for betaing most of these chapters for me. She's a busy young lady and I've really appreciated her efforts. **

**I also want to thank all of you readers, and most especially everyone who took the time to review. Many of you faithfully reviewed every chapter and I appreciate the support more than I can say. To say I was nervous when I started writing is an understatement. I considered not posting it at all; it just seemed too different, I wasn't going to add any major angst and I feared that readers would get bored. To read that I've brightened your day, made you smile and left you feeling warm and happy has just been so amazing to me. I've especially loved hearing so many of your own stories - I'm so glad it struck a chord with so many of you. As you know, I put in many of my own personal experiences into the story and that's why I feel so close to it. I even included my children's names (Daniella, Stephanie and Andrew). Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support. I still can't believe I got over 2000 reviews.**

**I've got another story in the works that I will start work on after I post the two outtakes. It will be called "I do, I do. For Now" It's another Bella/Edward story with all the requisite sexiness, tension and loving that I love to read myself. Look out for it in a few weeks.**

**I want to wish all of my US readers a great 4th of July. It's also my daughter's 19th birthday on that day. She always says that if we only lived in the US, she'd never have to work on her birthday! **

**The first outtake will be Alice and Jasper's first meeting. After seeing Eclipse, Jasper is second after Edward on my swoon meter. So hot in that Confederate uniform *sigh***

**Hope you come back for the outtakes, but if you don't, take care, happy reading and I hope to hear from you again.**

**Cecilia**


	36. Outtake 1: Alice and Jasper

**A/N: Hello again. Welcome to my first outtake for 'Babies'. I'm sorry it took so long but I got into a bit of a funk when I finished 'Babies' and it took a couple of weeks to feel motivated to write. Plus I finally caught up on some of my reading. **

**Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews you gave me telling me how much you enjoyed 'Babies'. I was so touched by so many of them. **

**I hope you enjoy this little snippet of Alice and Jasper's first meeting. Next up will be Jacob and Victoria's story. I'll try not to take so long for that one. **

Outtake 1: Alice and Jasper

The instant she saw him, she knew. Deep down, in every cell of her body, she knew. This man was 'the one'. Her fate. Her destiny. Now she just had to convince him she was his destiny.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Jasper entered his hotel room and threw his jacket on the bed before slumping down onto it. Closing his eyes, he thought back on the meeting with his publishers this afternoon, glad it was over.

The last few weeks had been hectic as he struggled to meet his deadline to finish his second book. His first novel, a historical thriller, had done extremely well and his publishers wanted him to write a sequel with the view to publishing a series of novels featuring his main character. They had paid him a handsome advance so he felt compelled to make sure he produced a novel to meet their expectations.

He had finished his final draft literally hours before he needed to leave to catch his flight from Seattle to Chicago, where the publisher's headquarters were located. Luckily, the drive down from his hometown of Forks, north of Seattle in the Olympic Peninsula had been uneventful and he managed to grab a couple of hours sleep on the plane.

His room at the Marriot, paid for by his publishers, was comfortable enough. Not that he paid much attention to it. As long as the bed was comfortable and he could access his emails, that's all he was concerned with. He was only staying a couple of nights and flying back to Seattle the day after his meeting.

Expecting to meet the usual person who handled his manuscript, Jasper was surprised to learn he had been replaced by Maria Velasquez. A tall, latin beauty, she had been a pleasant surprise at first. After the preliminaries were carried out and Maria had instructed her assistant to take the manuscript to the editing department, Maria had moved to sit down next to him and he was shocked when she put her hand on his thigh while leaning close enough that he could feel each breath she took.

As forward as can be, Maria had proceeded to proposition him right there in her office, her hands wandering everywhere. Shock had held him immobile for a moment before he began rebuffing her advances. The term 'barracuda' came to mind as he pushed her away while standing up to leave. When she realised he was serious, she began turning nasty. Deciding to nip the problem in the bud right away, Jasper had gone straight to her boss's office, demanding to see him. Due to the amount of book sales he'd generated, he'd been ushered in immediately where Jasper proceeded to demand Maria be taken off his account and why. Maria had tried to deny any wrong doing but it seemed that this wasn't the first time complaints against her had cropped up. She had been ordered back to her office and Jasper had received profuse apologies. It had been a relief to get out of there and back to the hotel.

Right then, his stomach gave a loud grumble. He hadn't eaten since breakfast and he was starving. Grabbing his jacket he decided to head out to find something to eat. Afterwards, he felt like a drink before going back to his room so he turned into the hotel's piano bar, looking forward to a cold beer.

o-o-o-o-o-o

"Come on Alice. It'll be fun."

"I don't know, Caroline. I'm not really in the mood to go clubbing tonight," replied Alice as she took another sip of her wine.

"You never know, you could meet the man of your dreams," laughed Katie.

"Yeah right. Like anyone meets the man of their dreams at a nightclub," drawled Alice sarcastically.

"It happens in movies all the time," pointed out Emma with a smile.

Alice just shook her head. She had agreed to meet with her girlfriends for dinner as it had been a few weeks since they had all caught up. She was working at Ralph Lauren's main Chicago store but her real dream was to have her own store selling her own designs. At night, she would work on her designs, cut and sew her clothes. Luckily her apartment was a good size and she had dedicated one of the bedrooms solely as a workroom. Her father had offered to help her set up her store but Alice didn't feel ready for that step yet.

Her focus meant she didn't socialise that much and she hadn't dated anyone in nearly a year. Not that she really missed it. Her last relationship had ended somewhat messily when he got over possessive and she definitely felt apprehensive about entering another one any time soon.

Deep down, Alice was a romantic at heart. She wanted to find her other half, fall headlong into love, experience the all consuming passion that she read about in her favourite romance novels, her secret vice. She just didn't think she would find her soul mate at some club.

Now the girls were all trying to convince her to go with them to the new nightclub that had opened a couple of weeks earlier and that everyone was talking about. Normally she loved dancing and would have agreed immediately, but work had been a bastard that day with more than her share of difficult customers and all she really felt like doing was to get into bed with her latest steamy novel and lose herself in the story.

"Well, what do you say? Coming with us?" asked Katie.

"Guys, I'm sorry but I don't really feel like it tonight. You go, I'll get a cab home," replied Alice.

"Oh come on, Alice," pleaded Emma.

"What about this?" suggested Caroline. "Let's go to the Marriot for a few drinks. The barman there makes fantastic cocktails. It's still early. You might change your mind about coming along. If not, we'll make sure you get a cab home. What do you say?"

Alice looked at their hopeful faces, feeling bad about letting them down. "All right, then. Let's have a few cocktails and who knows, I might get in the mood for dancing."

The other girls whooped in delight and they were a laughing, merry group as they made their way downtown to the Marriot hotel.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Sitting at one end of the bar, Jasper was lost in his thoughts and didn't notice the group of women entering the room at first. Eventually, the tinkling laugh of one of them penetrated his consciousness and he glanced up, looking in the direction the noise was coming from.

There were four young women settling themselves around a low table, laughing as they seemed to be discussing what they were going to order. Dispassionately, he took note that they were all quite attractive. One black haired girl was facing away from him though he took in her tiny but curvy body and wondered idly if the face matched the body. He turned back to his drink, dismissing the women from his thoughts.

"Okay, what are we drinking?" asked Caroline as they looked over the drinks menu.

"I don't know, but I wouldn't mind what's at the bar," giggled Emma.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" asked Alice.

Emma looked pointedly at the bar and leaned closer, lowering her voice. "There's a really hot guy sitting at the bar. Like, totally yummy."

Alice shook her head with a grin. Her back was to the bar and she wasn't about to turn around and make it obvious that they were looking at whoever was sitting there. "I'll take your word for it, Em. I think I'll have something fruity and decadent."

They all took a few more minutes deciding and Alice volunteered to go and place their orders at the bar. Laughing at some comment Katie made, she veered through the other tables and walked up to the bar. A tall, older man stood next to her placing his order as Alice waited patiently for her turn.

Just as she was looking around at the decor, the man beside her moved back and she turned her head. Her glance fell on the man sitting at the end of the bar. In the same instant, he lifted his head and their eyes met.

Alice would always say later that it seemed as if time literally stopped. Everything around her faded away as she gazed into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. She felt like she was drowning in those eyes and she knew, without the slightest doubt that this man was her destiny.

Her eyes wandered over the rest of him, her pulse racing. He was beautiful. She couldn't think of another word to describe him. His face was lean and sculpted, framing those amazing eyes. His lips were a work of art, she thought. Full and sensual, she wanted nothing more at that moment than to taste them, find out if they were as soft as they looked. His blond, wavy hair created a sort of halo around that stunning face. Eyes drifting lower, she took in his broad shoulders and toned chest, clothed in a thin, grey sweater. He was sitting down so she couldn't tell how tall he was. Not that it mattered. She was so short, it was extremely unlikely he was any shorter.

_That's him Alice_, she thought. _He's the one you've been waiting for. Don't let him get away_.

"Miss? Hello, Miss?" The voice of the bartender intruded on her thoughts, bringing her back to the present.

With a slight shake to clear her head, she somehow managed to give her order even as her gaze kept wandering back to him, catching her breath when she realised he was looking intently back at her.

Jasper didn't know what was happening to him. One instant he was lost in his own thoughts, the next he was being captivated by the endless depths of the green eyes belonging to the girl standing at the bar. To say she was beautiful was an understatement. She was beyond description. From her midnight hair falling around her shoulders to her tiny, luscious body, she was perfection. Her amazing eyes were framed by the longest of lashes. Her pert nose and lips he wanted to devour were framed by a petite, heart-shaped face. Looking down, he could see that though tiny, she had mouth watering curves. Her tight fitting black dress faithfully outlined her breasts and hips and he felt his body harden in response.

What the hell? He wasn't the type to lust after strange women but then, this woman was beyond any he'd ever seen. He wanted her more than anyone he'd ever wanted before.

He watched as she haltingly gave her order, her eyes constantly looking at him. Every time their eyes clashed, his body stirred. He started fantasising about peeling that dress off her, revealing every inch of creamy skin, followed closely by his seeking lips.

He was brought out of his fantasy when she moved away from the bar and walked back to her friends. She kept turning her head as she walked, looking back at him. Planning to go to his room a few minutes ago, there was no way he was leaving now while she was still here.

"Alice? Are you okay?" asked Caroline as Alice sat back down at their table.

Alice didn't answer for a few moments, her thoughts dominated by the man at the bar. Without volition, she turned her head, only to be caught in his gaze again. He was watching her as intently as she was watching him. Did he feel it too? This sense of inevitability? She could feel his eyes on her, even when she wasn't looking at him.

"Alice?"

"What?" she asked dazedly.

"What is the matter with you? You look like you're on another planet," noted Caroline.

"Is it that guy at the bar? The hot one?" asked Emma with a smirk.

Alice nodded slowly. The girls all huddled closer, grinning madly.

"He's caught your eye, hasn't he?" asked Emma.

The others looked up, trying to get a look at this guy without being too obvious, but they giggled like mad when they saw he was looking their way and had caught them.

"He's definitely delicious," agreed Katie.

"And he hasn't taken his eyes off you, Al," commented Caroline slyly.

Alice looked at her friends then quickly looked back at the bar. Yes, he was still looking at her. Turning back, she took a deep breath. "Guys, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ditch you all. I...I might be crazy but I have to talk to him. I've never been affected by anyone like this. I can't miss this opportunity."

"Of course you can't. Oh my God, Alice. I would kick your ass if you did. That guy is so into you, I can feel the heat from here," chuckled Caroline. "Girls, I say we drink our drink, help Alice plan what she's going to do and head off to the club and let her do what she needs to do."

The others were in total agreement. Over their drinks, they discussed how Alice was going to introduce herself, what to say. Listening with half an ear, she thought about just wanting to go up to him and learn his name. Her body was humming with excitement. He was a total stranger, yet she wanted him with a desperation that shocked her. She wanted to spend all night making wild, passionate love with him. She was thankful she'd never stopped taking the pill because if there was any chance of sleeping with him, she was going to take it. Alice didn't even feel a sense of disquiet about it. He was her fate and nothing they did could possibly be wrong.

Jasper watched as the women stood up and kissed her goodbye, leaving her on her own. He was about to walk over there when she turned and walked directly towards him. The look in her eyes caused his pulse to start racing and he was as hard as he'd ever been. Her sinuous, sexy walk made him want to grab her and take her right here, against the bar.

Heart thundering in her ears, Alice made her way towards the bar, remaining drink in her hand. He watched her the whole way. She felt so brazen as climbed up on the seat facing him, her dress riding up her thighs. Seeing his eyes flicker to her legs gave her the confidence she needed.

"Hi, I'm Alice Cullen," she introduced herself, trying not to let her voice tremble from her nervousness. She reached out her hand, which he didn't hesitate to take. The zing of feeling from just that contact raced throughout her body, leaving her feeling as taut as a bowstring.

"Jasper Whitlock," he replied, his deep, throaty voice sending chills down her spine. "That's a lovely name, Alice." Her name rolled off his tongue like a caress.

"Thank you," she smiled, her face lighting up. She was breathtaking.

Neither realised that he hadn't let go of her hand yet. Their eyes were devouring each other, speaking more eloquently than any words could.

Alice's breath hitched as she felt his thumb gently stroke the back of her hand before he let it go. She took another sip of her drink to regain her composure.

"Can I get you another drink?" he asked, his eyes darkening as he watched her lick her top lip, feeling jealous of her tongue.

"Sure. Thank you," she smiled. "Are you from Chicago?"

Jasper smiled, gave the bartender their order and turned back to her. "No, I live in small town a couple of hours from Seattle."

Seattle! Her heart sunk at that news. "Are you here on holiday then?"

"On business, actually." Their drinks arrived and Jasper gestured to some spare tables at back of the room. "Would you like to move? It'll probably be more comfortable at one the tables." With less people around, he thought to himself.

Alice nodded and they made their way to a quiet corner with a double seat, his hand on the small of her back. The size of the seat left them with no choice but to sit close together, a fact both of them realised when they chose it. As she sat, she crossed her legs, noting how his eyes followed the smooth expanse of skin. His arm rested along the back, not touching her, but she could still feel the heat of him.

"What business are you in?" she asked, taking in his beautiful features, watching his lips move.

"I'm an author and I had to meet with my publishers to submit my latest manuscript," he replied, his eyes drifting down her throat towards the hint of cleavage on display. God, she was stunning. He could smell the delicate fragrance she wore and longed to taste her skin, taste her.

"An author? Have your books sold well?"

Jasper nodded and smiled to himself. _I suppose making the top 10 bestseller list last year could be classed as doing alright_. "I do okay. What about you?"

"I'm working at Ralph Lauren's store but I really want to have my own store with my own designs one day. That's what I'm working towards anyway."

"Is this one of yours?" he asked, motioning towards her dress.

"Yes it is. Do you like it?" she asked flirtatiously.

"Oh yeah," he answered huskily, moving infinitesimally closer. "It's beautiful. _You're_ beautiful."

Alice felt as if her whole body was melting. His face was so close, she only had to move a little and she would be able to kiss him. He wouldn't object, she knew it. "Th...thank you," she replied softly.

Slowly, his hand moved to touch her hair, running the strands through his fingers. It was so soft, so silky. With his eyes never leaving hers, he burrowed under her hair and ran a finger over the soft skin at the back of her neck, stroking it ever so gently. When her lips parted in response to his touch, it was all he could do not to drag her onto his lap and kiss her until neither of them could breathe.

In an effort make a coherent sentence, she asked the first thing that came into her head. "Where are you staying in Chicago?" That finger was driving her crazy with need.

"Right here. I've a room upstairs." The need to have her was growing stronger with every minute that passed.

Alice closed her eyes as his finger moved to her ear, tracing her earlobe. "Jasper?"

"Yes, Alice?"

Looking into his eyes, she could feel his breath on her face. "Are you...married? Or have a girlfriend? Please...be honest with me."

Jasper shook his head with a small smile. "No. There's no-one. You?"

Alice shook her head. After a moment of silence, she placed her hand on his thigh, feeling the muscle move under it. She longed to feel it without the cloth barrier. "Jasper, I don't know what you're thinking but I need you to know that I've never done this before. I've never felt what I'm feeling now. The pull I feel. The instant I saw you, I felt it." She looked at his face, stunned at the desire she could see in it. "Do...do you know what I'm talking about?"

Jasper moved his hand to cup her cheek. His thumb traced over her bottom lip and he couldn't help licking his own. "I know exactly what you're talking about. I want you so badly, Alice," he whispered hoarsely. "This has never happened to me either."

Unable to help herself, Alice moved closer, as did Jasper. As their lips touched, they felt like they'd been struck by a bolt of electricity. Desire, already simmering dangerously, exploded in an instant.

Jasper opened his mouth over hers, tasting her, devouring her. She tasted like strawberries and coconut and something indefinable that could only be Alice. He wanted to drown in her lips. Take and take until he'd taken all she could give. His tongue demanded, and received, entry to her mouth and he explored all the hidden recesses, needing to know all her secrets. He felt like a dying man given the elixir of life.

Alice couldn't think, could only feel. _This_ was what she'd been waiting for her whole life. This was the man she'd been searching for, if she'd but known it. His kiss tasted like home. Her arms encircled his neck, pulling him closer. She felt his hand run up her leg, cupping her hip before moving up. She couldn't help the soft moan as it skimmed the side of her breast. She could feel her sex throbbing, needing Jasper's touch.

Her moan brought Jasper out of his pleasure-induced haze. They were still in the bar, in view of other patrons. No-one seemed to be paying them any attention but they needed to continue this in private.

Moving his lips to her cheek, he nuzzled the satiny skin there. "Alice. Come upstairs with me?" he whispered against her ear.

Alice reluctantly let go of his hair. She didn't even remember burying her fingers in its softness. "Yes, Jasper. Oh yes."

Taking a few deep breaths, Jasper sat back as he tried to calm his raging body, enough to get back to his room without scandalising everyone around him. It wasn't working. "Baby, you'll have to walk in front of me," he smirked, looking down.

Alice looked down and couldn't help her combined moan and giggle as she saw his problem. The tent in his pants was testament to how much he wanted her and she felt the answering gush of wetness between her legs. "Let's go," she said, taking his hand.

Jasper stood up and tried to discreetly readjust himself in a vain effort to hide his raging erection. It didn't work so he simply walked closely behind her as they walked out of the bar into the hotel's foyer. There weren't many people around as they made their way to the bank of elevators.

As they waited, Jasper's hands closed around her hips and pulled her back into him. She was so tiny next to him although her heels helped. He felt her shiver as he pressed himself into her back, letting her feel how badly he wanted her. He leaned forward and kissed the skin of shoulder, moving up to her throat, opening his mouth and sucking softly on the tender skin.

"Mmm...oh that feels good," moaned Alice, rolling her hips, loving the feel of his hardness. She couldn't wait to feel it inside her.

"You taste delicious," he murmured as he took her earlobe in his mouth. His hands moved up until they cupped her breasts, squeezing gently. He could feel her erratic heartbeat and her laboured breathing.

Just then the lift doors opened and he was grateful that there was no-one inside as it would have been patently obvious what was going on. Pushing her gently inside, he hit the button for the 24th floor and turned her to face him.

With a groan, he pulled her tightly against him and kissed her ravenously. They couldn't get enough of the other, their hands roaming all over each other's bodies. Their tongues duelled as they tried to satisfy their seemingly insatiable hunger.

Jasper's hands moved to her ass, squeezing tightly as he pressed himself into her, feeling her heat even through her clothes. Moving lower, his hand caressed her silky thigh, pushing up the material as he inched upwards.

"Yes, touch me," she pleaded breathlessly as his hand moved close to her core.

"Oh baby," he breathed when his hand reached her soaked panties. She gave a small cry as his finger rubbed the wet material a couple of times before reaching inside to cup her. "God, you're so wet. So hot." His finger parted her soft folds, her heat nearly burning him. He slid easily over her before he pressed on her clit, flicking it a couple of times.

"Oh shit!" she cried out. Without thought, she reached for him, cupping him through his trousers, loving his hot breath against her throat. Just as she opened his fly and reached inside, Jasper inserted a finger into her. "_Ahh!_"

Jasper was struggling to hold it together. Her little hands grabbing his cock through his boxers combined with the sounds she was making as he pumped his finger into her was driving him insane. He was stunned by the explosiveness of their passion.

"Baby, I...I can't...wait," he murmured against her throat. "I need to fuck you now."

Alice's eyes widened at his words but she nodded eagerly. "Yes! God yes. Fuck me Jasper. _Please_."

Without a moment of hesitation, Jasper reached around and pressed the elevator stop button. The elevator came to a halt between floors. Turning back, he could see Alice's eyes were now a dark green with desire and excitement.

He quickly undid his trousers, pulling them down just enough to free his erection. He gave a sharp hiss when Alice took him in her hand, stroking his length. He felt an absurd sense of male pride as her saw admiring his penis, licking her lips. The action made him twitch in response. Unable to wait, he lifted up her skirt until it was bunched around her waist. Normally he would have admired the scrap of black lace she wore underneath but he was too desperate. With a yank, he pushed them down her legs, watching as she stepped out of them. He couldn't help his swift intake of breath as he looked at her, the tiny patch of curls framing perfection.

"God, Alice. I've never wanted anything as badly as I want you right now."

At her nod, he grabbed her thighs and lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. Her arms locked around his neck as her hips wriggled, trying to impale herself on him. Biting his bottom lip, Jasper tried to stop himself from coming right then and there. Her eagerness was so arousing, he was already twitching but he was determined that she get her pleasure first. They were in the lift so it was going to be quick, but he was going to make it good too.

"Ready?"

"Yes. Now Jasper. Fuck me now!"

With a loud groan, Jasper placed his tip at her entrance. He took Alice's lips with his own as he lowered her onto him, not stopping until he was fully buried inside her.

"_Fuck!_" he groaned. She felt incredible. "Oh god, you're so tight. Incredible."

"Oh god! Ahh!" she moaned, stunned at the pleasure and rightness she felt. "You feel amazing. So good."

Jasper backed Alice against the elevator wall, her ass resting on the hand rail. Their mouths fused together, he began moving in and out of her, her tight walls massaging him. He was ready to burst. Alice tightened her legs around his waist, pulling him into her as she cried out with each thrust. Within moments Jasper was pounding frantically into her, gasping into her shoulder. Alice threw her head back as each thrust sent her closer and closer to her climax.

"Fuck, baby!" he cried out. "You're so good, I'm going to come."

"Oh...oh...oh!" she grunted. "Yes, Jazz. Yes. Make me come!" she pleaded.

Jasper reached between them and pressed against her sensitive clit, rolling it around as he pumped in and out.

"_Oh! Ohgodohgodohgod! I'm...com...!"_ With a loud keening cry, Alice convulsed around him, waves of pure pleasure pulsing through her. She clenched her inner muscles, wanting to hold onto him forever.

"_Oh fuck! Ahh...!_" he grunted loudly as she clamped tightly on his engorged dick. His body trembling, he twitched violently before spilling himself deep inside her. His hips kept thrusting long after she had milked every drop from him.

The enclosed space of the elevator echoed their tortured breathing as they trembled in each other's arms. Neither could form a coherent sentence, stunned by the intensity of their passion.

They were effectively strangers, but it felt like they had been doing this forever. Their bodies were so perfectly attuned.

For Alice, the power of their lovemaking was confirmation that they were fated for each other. How else did she explain the perfection of what had just happened between them?

Jasper was trying to figure out what the hell happened. This was beyond any experience he'd ever had. It was like she took his soul and he'd happily given it to her.

Eventually they stirred out of their stupor and just looked at each other. They could each see how the other was affected by what had transpired between them. Without a word, Jasper kissed her, a deep, languorous kiss. He sipped from her mouth, tracing her lip with his tongue. Amazingly, he could feel himself stirring again inside her.

"Baby, we need to continue this in my room," he murmured with a groan as she rolled her hips.

Reluctantly, he pulled out of her, semi-erect and glistening with their combined juices. Alice bit her lip as he slid out, already throbbing for his return. Her legs felt wobbly and she was grateful for Jasper's help in picking up her panties. She didn't bother putting them back on; she was only going to take them off again as soon as possible. When they had straightened their clothing, Jasper pressed the button and the lift started again with a soft whirr.

Jasper held Alice in his arms, needing to feel her close. He was still in a daze. When the lift finally arrived at his floor, he led her towards his room. Inside, he dimmed the lights and locked the door and looked at Alice, standing in the middle of his room. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was. He'd seen models that didn't measure up to her. He wondered if anyone would ever measure up.

Standing next to Jasper's bed, his eyes on her, Alice felt strangely nervous. She didn't know why. It wasn't like they hadn't already had sex. Great sex. Incredible sex. Out of this world sex. Now they were totally alone and it felt more intimate somehow.

Jasper could see Alice was uncomfortable and took her gently in his arms, wanting to reassure her. He didn't know if they would have more than tonight but he would never forget it. Ever. He felt a deep pang at the thought of never seeing Alice again, a sharp pain in his chest.

Tipping her chin up with his finger, he smiled sweetly down at her before leaning down and kissing her, gently at first then with ever increasing passion. Before long they were once again straining against each other. As he was about to undo her zipper, a thought occurred to him and he pulled back with a groan.

"Alice, I feel so stupid," he grimaced. Alice looked at him in puzzlement. "I didn't once think about protection."

"Oh!" replied Alice in surprise before giggling. At Jasper's surprised look, she explained. "Sorry, I'm not laughing at that. Just that we wanted each other so badly neither of us gave it a thought." Placing her hand on Jasper's arm, she looked up at him. "It's okay, Jasper. I'm on the pill. And I can promise you I'm clean. I haven't been with anyone in nearly a year."

Jasper looked at her in surprise. How could that be? He could see the honesty in her eyes and had to mentally shake his head at the stupidity of the men of Chicago. "I believe you, Alice. I just can't believe the men here are so stupid."

Alice smiled. "Oh, I've had offers. I just haven't accepted. Until now."

Jasper kissed her lightly again. "I'm honoured. You are truly the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. And to reassure you, I'm clean too. It's been months for me too."

Wanting to make tonight a night neither would forget, Jasper restrained his urge to throw her down on the bed and fuck her senseless. Instead, he took her face in his hands, pressing soft kisses all over her face. His hands began moving slowly over her skin, undoing her zipper and pushing the straps off her shoulders. The dress bunched at her waist, leaving her in a black, lacy strapless bra.

Jasper sucked in his breath at the sight of her. His fingers delicately traced over the creamy mounds, covered in lace. Her breath was coming in short gasps especially when he lowered his mouth and took her lace covered nipple in his mouth. Alice moaned and buried her fingers in his hair. His tongue thoroughly wet the material as he gently bit her nipple. In the meantime, his hands pushed the dress off her, leaving her naked except for the bra.

With his teeth, he pulled down the bra, freeing her rigid nipple and sucked on it like man dying of thirst. He released the bra and threw it off before squeezing and suckling on her breasts. He took equal time on both mounds, laving, sucking and biting until Alice was literally shaking with desire.

When he finally looked up, Alice pulled his mouth to hers, desperate for his kiss. Her hands moved to his shirt, pulling at the buttons, needing him as naked as she was. Her trembling hands were having trouble, so Jasper helped her out, pulling off his shirt.

Alice groaned in delight as his torso was revealed. He was lean but well built, his well defined chest and abdomen more temptation than she could resist. She ran her tongue over his chest, licking and sucking, eliciting groans of approval from Jasper. Her hands frantically tugged at his belt, opening his trousers and pushing them down his legs. As he stepped out of them, she kissed her way down his abdomen, his erection brushing her chest through his boxers.

With a sultry glance up at his face, Alice pulled his boxers down, his rigid cock standing for her attention.

"_Alice!_" he hissed when she took him in her hand and delicately licked the head. His hands reached down and took hold of her hair just as she took him in her mouth. "Oh god, baby! Suck me. _Ahh!_"

Loving the taste of him, she moved up and down his cock before licking the underside from base to tip. She swirled her tongue around his head, pumping him with her hand at the same time. Jasper was gasping continuously now, his hands gripping her hair.

Jasper could feel himself getting closer to another climax but he didn't want to come in her mouth this time. He wanted to be inside her again, wanted to feel her milking him with her walls. With a huge effort, he gently released himself from her mouth. He smiled at Alice's look of disappointment.

Pulling her to her feet, he held her close, his erection pulsing between their bodies. "Don't get me wrong, 'cause I loved that, but I want to come inside you again. And I want to make you come first."

Alice felt her already drenched pussy get even wetter if that were possible. Jasper urged her backwards onto the bed. He bent down and took off her shoes as she shimmied back until her head rested on the large pillows. Jasper pushed her legs apart, licking his lips as he looked at her glistening sex, knowing he was responsible for it. His cock ached to bury itself in her heat again but he wasn't rushing it this time.

Leaning over her on hands and knees, he bent down and began licking his way from her throat, down over each breast giving each some attention, then down over her torso to her hips. Sitting back on his haunches, his erection straining, he lifted one of Alice's legs and began kissing his way from her foot up to her inner thigh before doing the same with the other.

Alice felt like she was delirious. Her whole body was flushed and throbbing, especially between her legs. His touch and lips were like a drug and she literally craved him. "Please, Jasper," she pleaded as he kept teasing her.

"What do you want Alice?" he asked huskily. "Do you want me to fuck you? With my finger? My mouth? My cock?"

His words turned her on even more than she was already was, if that were possible. "Yes. I want all of it."

"And I want to give it to you," he replied against her thigh. "I want you to scream in ecstasy."

Alice was panting by now, her hips wriggling as she sought relief. Taking pity on her, he reach down and ran his finger along her folds, opening her up for his gaze. "You're beautiful, Alice. So pink, so soft. So wet for me," he murmured, listening to her ragged panting. He couldn't resist a taste any longer and leaned down to lick from one end of her sex to the other. She was delicious, her taste mixed with his, the thought making him painfully hard. He suddenly felt possessive. He didn't want any other man to have the pleasure of tasting Alice.

Amid her continuous cries of pleasure, he brought her to the edge time and time again with his fingers and tongue. He didn't even feel her pulling on his hair as her back arched, trying to get even closer. Her juices were literally dripping on his hand as he valiantly tried to lick them up, addicted to the sweet taste of her. Lifting his head, he watched her flushed face, covered in a sheen of sweat and gently inserted a couple of fingers inside her.

"Ah shit! Yes!" she gasped as he stroked her. "_Oh god, I'm gonna come!_" Jasper took her swollen nub in his mouth and sucked hard, his fingers massaging her. Alice felt like she saw stars as an explosive orgasm ripped through her and she couldn't control the scream of pleasure she let out. Her body was completely arched, her limbs trembling as the pleasure consumed her.

Jasper had to exert all his effort not to come right then as he watched her in the throes of her orgasm. She was magnificent! She was responsive beyond belief and he honestly didn't know how he would exist without it in future. He gently brought her back down from her high then moved up over her, kissing her desperately.

Wrapping her arms and legs around him, Alice kissed him back, trying to put all she was feeling into it. She could feel his erection brushing against her, and despite just having the most intense orgasm only moments before, she was ready and aching for him once again.

"Jasper, come inside me. I want you inside me."

Jasper groaned and with a trembling hand, guided himself into her again. It was like coming home. When they were completely joined, he looked into her eyes and felt an overwhelming rush of an emotion he couldn't name. It was more than passion, more than lust. There was affection, trust and something else. He had only met her a few hours ago, but he felt like he'd known her forever. And he was leaving tomorrow. A wave of sadness hit him at the thought.

Alice saw the play of emotions on Jasper's face, sure he was feeling the same things she was feeling. She cupped his face, kissing him softly and rotated her hips, feeling his gasp against her lips.

Without a word spoken, Jasper began moving within her, slowly at first, savouring the sensations of her walls massaging him. He pulled right out and plunged back in, her whimpers filling the room. Faster and faster he moved, his hips thrusting rhythmically. Grabbing one of her legs, he lifted it over his shoulder, allowing him to thrust even deeper.

"Oh god!" Alice cried out, her nails digging into his shoulders as she got closer to another climax, each thrust stroking her in just the right places. "Jasper!"

His hair damp with sweat, every nerve ending tingling, Jasper pounded her furiously, not intending to stop until she came apart around him. "Come Alice. Come...for... me," he ground out.

"So...close. Oh god, I'm... so close!" she gasped.

Jasper looked down and saw her luscious breasts bouncing with every thrust. He took one nipple in his mouth, pulled out, stilled for a heartbeat then buried himself to the absolute hilt.

"_Jasper!_" screamed Alice as she climaxed violently. She could barely breathe as her body convulsed around him and she literally felt lightheaded.

"_Alice! Oh god, Alice!_" grunted Jasper, burying his face in her throat as spilled himself endlessly inside her. It felt like he was flying apart and he almost felt like crying as kept thrusting, wanting this feeling to never end.

Finally, he collapsed onto her, careful not to squash her. Alice kept her arms around him, kissing his hair, his forehead, anywhere she could reach. They were still joined and Jasper was loath to leave her. When he finally lifted his head he was alarmed to see tears in her eyes.

"Alice? Did I hurt you? Was I too rough? Oh god, I'm sorry, Alice," he asked urgently.

Alice smiled and shook her head, stroking his cheek. "No Jasper. It was...wonderful. Beyond perfect. I'm just afraid I'll never feel anything that perfect again." A tear rolled down her cheek.

Jasper kissed away the tear, before rolling off her and pulling her close, stroking her tousled hair. "I feel the same. I've...never experienced anything like that before," he admitted huskily. "But I'm leaving for Seattle tomorrow."

Not wanting to think about that now, Alice hugged him closer and kissed his chest. "Then let's not waste tonight."

And they didn't. The made love most of the night, in every way possible until they fell into an exhausted sleep in the early hours.

Alice woke as Jasper got out of the rumpled bed to prepare for his departure to Seattle. She watched as he sat on the edge of the bed, his head bowed. She reached out and felt the shudder run through him. She didn't want him to go.

"Jasper?"

He turned his head and smiled at her sadly. "I've got to get ready. My flight leaves in a couple of hours."

"Don't go," pleaded Alice, taking his hand. "Stay."

"I'm booked on this flight, Alice."

"I don't care. Cancel it. Please Jasper. Stay with me at my place for a few days." She watched his face, reading the indecision on it. "Don't you see that what we've found is special? Rare? I felt it the moment I saw you, Jasper. Most people go their whole lives and never experience what we did last night. I know you felt it."

Jasper looked at her, torn. His head told him that the wise thing to do was to go home with just the memory of this night. But his heart was urging him to stay with Alice, to not lose her. To give them a chance.

Determined to fight for them, Alice sat up, took his head in her hands and kissed him, pouring all the emotion she felt into it. Again, she could feel the desire flow between them. "Stay, Jasper. Don't leave."

The fight left him, not that he put up much of a struggle, in truth. "Okay. I'll stay. For a few days at least."

Alice squealed and hugged him, placing kisses all over his face. Before Jasper could even consider changing his mind, he had checked out of the Marriot, and was on his way to Alice's apartment. He would need more clothes and Alice was more than happy to help take him shopping.

After they spent the day and night in her bed, of course.

Jasper ended up staying a whole week with Alice. When they weren't making love, they explored the sights of Chicago and got to know everything about each other. Alice took time off work and it became a magical week.

Finally though, Jasper needed to go home but asked Alice to travel to Forks the following weekend. He couldn't bear to be without her for too long. Alice had eagerly agreed, planning to fly out on Friday evening to Seattle where Jasper would be waiting.

Walking hand in hand through the bustling O'hare Airport, Alice could feel her heart growing heavier and heavier with every step. She would see him in a week but the days would seem interminable. After getting his boarding card, they sat down near the gate as they waited for the flight to board.

Jasper looked down and saw the tear fall down Alice's cheek. Lifting her eyes to his, he kissed her lips softly. "Don't cry baby," he whispered. Stroking her cheek, he looked deeply into her eyes. "Alice. I love you." He'd felt it the moment he touched her; he knew for sure when he couldn't leave her the following day.

Alice burst into tears and held him tightly. Jasper stroked her back, worried that he'd scared her with his feelings. Eventually she looked up at him, a radiant smile on her beautiful, tear streaked face. "Oh Jasper. I love you too. So much. The moment I saw you, I knew I loved you. We were meant to be."

Happier than he could ever remember feeling, Jasper held her close. "Thank God I had to come to Chicago," he murmured against her ear. "I'll miss you every minute until I see you again."

"Me too. I'll count the seconds."

Jasper's flight was called and the lover's reluctantly stood up, arms around each other. Kissing her deeply, Jasper picked up his bag. "I love you Alice. I'll call you every day."

"I love you too Jasper," she whispered, crying again.

With a last kiss, Jasper dragged himself away and gave his boarding card to the attendant. He was just about to go through the doors when Alice called him. Turning around, he gave her a puzzled look.

"Jasper!" called Alice. Taking a deep breath, she took the plunge. "Will you marry me?"

Jasper stood shell-shocked for a moment, not seeing the amused looks from people around them. A moment was all the time he needed though. Dropping his bag, he ran back to Alice and took her in his arms, kissing her with every ounce of love he felt for this amazing woman. His angel.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes, Alice. I'd love to marry you."

Neither noticed the clapping around them.


	37. Outtake 2: Jacob & Victoria

**A/N: Hi again. I'm so sorry it's taken so long to get this final chapter up. A combination of factors was to blame. Still, it's here now and it's a monster of a chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

**On a side note, Emilie (Pierard85) has been translating 'Babies' into French. So if any of you French readers want to have a look, go to her profile and check it out.**

Outtake 2: Jacob and Victoria

Jacob lay awake in the pre-dawn gloom and watched her chest gently rise and fall with each breath she took as she lay sleeping. He could feel each exhale as it brushed over his skin like a lover's caress. The warmth of her body, curled around his, caused his skin to burn where ever they touched. He could almost feel the imprint of her hand where it lay against his chest.

As he watched Victoria sleep, Jake thought back to the events of the night, and of the last six months. He was having trouble believing that they were really here, together. That finally his dream was coming true. It was why he was awake; he was afraid of falling asleep and waking up to find that it really had only been that, a dream. He'd waited patiently for months for her, waited for her to decide if he was worth taking a chance on. It would rip his heart out if none of this was real.

Needing reassurance, his hand lightly skimmed over her back, his tanned skin contrasting sharply with her velvet, alabaster skin. Moving up, he took hold of a lock of her hair, marvelling at the colour and softness of it. Taking a deep breath, he savoured her scent, a mixture of freesias and roses. He could also smell himself on her as well as the lingering scent of their lovemaking.

As he gazed at her, Victoria stirred and slowly opened her eyes. Jake sucked in his breath at the love and desire in her blue eyes as they stared into his nearly black ones. With a soft smile, Victoria slowly cupped his cheek before burying her fingers in his short, black hair. Pulling his head down towards hers, their lips met eagerly. The kiss was slow and tender, passion temporarily at bay as they savoured the wonder of being together, in each other's arms.

They slowly drew apart, their faces only inches apart. Victoria smiled at the sheer adoration on Jake's face.

"Hi," she whispered, her fingers caressing his brow as she looked at his beautiful face. He was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen, matched only by his beautiful soul.

Jake smiled back, his white teeth gleaming in the dim light. "Hi, yourself." Cupping her cheek, his thumb rubbed over her bottom lip. "Happy?"

Victoria kissed his thumb, enjoying the way his breath caught in his throat. She was still coming to terms with the power she wielded over this amazing man. She still had so much to learn about how to be in a loving relationship, but at this moment in time, she felt confident that Jake would teach her what she needed to know.

"Happier than I've ever been," she replied.

"I love you," he declared.

"I…I…think, no, I know... I…love you…too," she said slowly.

Jake's smile widened as he looked at her uncertain face. He could understand her hesitation in trusting this feeling between them after all the hardships in her life but he was determined that he would prove to her that she could safely put her heart and trust in his care. He knew he would never intentionally hurt her or her son, Robbie. He had the rest of their lives to show her how much he loved her.

"I promise you'll never regret giving us a chance. Never regret loving me," he promised.

"I think I already know that," she replied. "You've been showing me since we first met."

Jake nodded slowly, thinking back to that momentous day.

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

Watching Bella marry Edward, Jake couldn't help feeling envious. Not because of Bella; she was his best friend and like a sister. No, he was envious of the obvious love between them, the sheer devotion in their eyes and voices as they spoke their vows. He was happy for Bella, he didn't doubt that. He only wanted the best for her and it seemed she had found that in Edward and they were eagerly looking forward to the birth of their baby.

He wanted what Bella had. Someone to love and be loved in return. Someone to start a family with. Someone that would end the loneliness he felt at night, alone in his house. He wanted to feel that special connection to someone. He knew love like that existed; Bella and Edward were proof of that as were his parents. He just didn't know where to find it.

Female companionship was never a problem. Jake wasn't vain but he knew he was attractive. Genetics and looking after himself meant that girls had been throwing themselves at him since his early teens. And there was no denying that he had taken advantage of that, not denying himself willing bed partners when he wanted it. Eventually though, that had palled and he found himself going for weeks or months without a sexual encounter. Currently, it had been nearly six months since he'd last slept with anyone and he could honestly say that he wasn't missing sex.

Maybe he hadn't yet recovered from Billy's death. His father's death had hit him hard; harder than he expected. Watching his normally robust father battle his cancer, seeing him wither away to a shell of the man he knew had been devastating. Jake missed talking to him, laughing with him, even fishing with him. The overwhelming emotion he felt was loneliness. Despite his Bella and his sisters, the loneliness was always there. Jake didn't really know how he was going stop feeling this way. The only thing that helped was his business and he was spending more and more time at the workshop, not having anything to go home to.

As the wedding party continued Jake found himself joking around with Bella and her sister-in-law, Alice. Edward was dancing with someone else while Bella took a break, her feet aching from all the dancing. At four months pregnant, she tired easily. Jacob saw her eyes filled with love as she watched Edward and turned to see who he was dancing with.

_Wow!_ He thought as he saw her. The first thing he noticed was her glorious mane of red-gold hair. It was long and wavy, hanging down her back and Jake could imagine tangling his hands in it. Then he saw her face and he felt a jolt of desire run through him. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She reminded him of a porcelain doll his sister had as a child. Smooth, alabaster skin topped off by blue eyes. Her rosebud lips begged to be kissed. She looked so delicate; like she would break if handled roughly. He had to know who she was.

"Who is Edward dancing with?" he asked Bella, dragging her gaze from her new husband.

"That's Victoria. She's living with Carlilse and Esme and her baby, Robbie. I mentioned her, remember?" replied Bella, looking at him curiously.

"_That_ Victoria?" Bella nodded. "You didn't tell me she was so beautiful."

Of course he had heard of her. She had been in the local newspaper when her former partner had held Bella hostage and had been killed. Bella had subsequently told him a little of what she had gone through. Jake couldn't believe that anyone would want to hurt someone that looked like an angel.

"Would you like me to introduce you?" asked Bella with a knowing smile on her face.

Jake could only nod eagerly. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Bella led him to the dance floor and watched as she interrupted Edward's dance.

"Victoria, I'd like to introduce one of my best friends, Jacob Black," said Bella, giving her new husband a sly wink.

Without any premeditation, Jake took Victoria's hand and lifted it to his lips. He couldn't remember ever touching skin as soft as hers. He watched, entranced, as Victoria blushed prettily at his gesture. Close-up, she was even more beautiful, her skin flawless. Jake's heart was thundering in his chest.

"H…hi, Jacob," she said, his name flowing over him like a caress.

"Please, call me Jake," he replied. "Would you like to dance?" he asked, holding his breath.

"I'd love to," she replied.

Not giving her time to change her mind, Jake led her out into the crowd. The music was fast and loud and didn't really give them a chance to speak much. He made small talk while they danced, delighting in her laughter. She admitted that she didn't really know how to dance, Jake grabbed her hand and spun her around, making her giggle as he pretended to dance really badly. For song after song, they continued dancing until it was time for Bella and Edward to leave.

Shortly after the newlywed's departure, Victoria thanked him for their dance and excused herself to go and feed her son and put him to bed. The other guests were leaving and Jake couldn't find any excuse to hang around. Lying in bed that night, he relived every moment of his time with Victoria.

He tried to recall what he knew about her, which wasn't much. She had a baby son and she had been in an abusive relationship. The baby's father was dead, a situation Jake was heartily glad about. She was now living with Edward's parents, who seemed to have 'adopted' her.

When he thought about that bastard hurting her, Jake could feel his fists clench in anger. The woman had been pregnant, for fuck's sake! What kind of asshole did that? He suddenly wished the bastard was still alive so that he could beat the living crap out of him and let him know what it felt like. Jake doubted he'd be such a tough guy when confronted with someone bigger than him.

That made him wonder if Victoria would ever trust another man after what she'd suffered. What if she was forever turned against men or relationships? Would she ever consider giving him a chance to show her how a real man treated a woman? Would she ever learn to trust again?

Jake thought about her son. He'd only seen him at the end of the night when Victoria left to feed him. Her having a child didn't bother him in the least. They came as a package and Jake was fine with that. Besides, he liked children and wanted some of his own one day.

For the next weeks, thoughts of Victoria rarely left his head. Her face would pop up in his dreams. If he saw anyone with red hair, she would come to mind. He just wanted to see her again but didn't know if she would want to see him again. Jake had never felt like this before; pining over a woman who may never feel the same.

In desperation, he went to see Bella to seek her advice. Bella knew Victoria and would tell him straight whether he had any chance with her. As expected, Bella told him the truth; he would have his work cut out for him but that if he was patient, hopefully Victoria would come to see that he was worth taking a chance on. Bella's advice was to be her friend. Victoria had had precious few friends in her life.

When Bella asked him a couple of days later if he wanted to go to Esme's house for Sunday lunch, Jake jumped at the opportunity. Sitting in the back of Edward's car, he was ridiculously nervous and had to ignore Edward's knowing smirks. After a while, even Edward felt sorry for him and tried to get him to relax. Jake felt like he was going on his first date and was terrified he'd say something stupid or worse, scare her away.

In a way, she reminded him of an injured young deer that Billy had found when Jake was a teenager. The animal was in a lot of pain but wouldn't let anyone near without a fight at first. It skittered away when Billy tried to treat her. Slowly her wounds healed as Billy showed tremendous patience. Every movement he made was slow and measured, wanting to reassure the deer that he could be trusted not to hurt her. Over the course of several weeks, Billy slowly gained her trust until he was finally able to hand feed her. She even took to following him around when he was nearby. When she was finally healed, Billy set her free, a few tears in his eyes. Amazingly though, the deer often returned, as if to see Billy, before heading back to the forest. Jake knew his father treasured those moments.

Jake decided to follow Billy's example. He would be whatever Victoria needed him to be; friend, confidante, babysitter. Maybe someday…lover, boyfriend, husband. Jake knew he was in this for the long haul. Hopefully Victoria would one day feel the same.

The lunch went better than he'd hoped for. Though shy and a little nervous, Victoria had started talking and laughing with him over their meal. Jake knew he'd been purposely sat next to her and silently thanked the others for their support. That they trusted him to do the right thing by Victoria touched him. He also got to know little Robbie and honestly thought the baby was adorable. It was easy to like the little guy.

Jake was making Robbie smile while holding him and didn't notice the look on Victoria's face. It was one of pleasure and surprise. She couldn't help but be affected by the easy, natural way this huge, handsome man played with her baby son.

Victoria couldn't deny that she was attracted to Jake. How could she not be? He was stunning. Tall, well built, he had a face that could have graced the big screen. When he smiled, his whole face lit up, his dark eyes crinkled and his impossibly white teeth stood out against his honeyed skin. Short, black hair topped it all off.

Her pulse raced when he looked at her and when he smiled, she found it hard to breathe. She couldn't help feeling nervous around him. He had such a strong effect on her. When they'd danced at Bella's wedding, she'd felt like a teenager again; or at least how she imagined a teenager would feel. Her own teenage years held no pleasant memories for her. She'd never really had the chance to just dance and enjoy a boy's company and just let herself enjoy the experience. Jake was a good partner that night, and the night had passed way too quickly.

Now he was here in Esme's house and Victoria was experiencing mixed emotions. On one hand, she was enjoying his company, his conversation putting her at ease. He drew laughter from her when telling her stories of his father, who he'd lost some months earlier. She wasn't oblivious to the approving looks of the others in the room. On the other hand, she was nervous and scared. It hadn't been that long since she'd seen James killed in front of her eyes. She still had nightmares about some of the beatings he'd inflicted on her.

Victoria couldn't help a sense of self-loathing at the way she'd allowed James to abuse her the way he did for so long. That she had been so weak as to just put up with it. He'd made her feel so worthless for so long, that it was difficult to believe that any man would want to be with her. If a man knew the degrading things that James had subjected her to, he would be disgusted.

Having lived in Esme's house for a few months now, Victoria knew that love, real love, did exist. Not the pitiful excuse for love that she had felt for James. It was evident every day with this amazing family. Carlisle still treated Esme like his bride despite having been married for over thirty years. At first, Victoria had been both embarrassed and intrigued by the open displays of affection between the couple. Now she was used to it, finding it endearing.

Yet, the long buried romantic part of her soul wanted a love like Esme and Carlisle's, or like their children's. She wanted to feel loved and cherished. She just didn't believe she deserved it. Certainly a man as beautiful as Jake wouldn't want her that way. He could have any woman he wanted. He wouldn't want someone who was damaged goods and who had a child.

Robbie, her precious baby, was another consideration. Her most important consideration. Never would she allow him to be subjected to the violence she had been. She would sooner die than allow that. He was her ray of sunshine, her redemption. Everything she did now would be for him. She would have to trust a man implicitly before she trusted him with her son.

When Jake left, he kissed her cheek and Victoria nearly gasped at the thrill of sensation that ran through her at the touch of his lips. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

Despite her confused emotions, Jake came around again a few days later, ostensibly to see Esme but ended up spending most of the time playing with Robbie and talking to her. Victoria couldn't help liking Jake as well as being attracted to him. He was such a sweet, lovely guy. He told her about his family and business and seemed to sense that she wasn't ready to talk about her past, for which she was grateful. He also never crossed any physical boundaries, would just kiss her cheek when he left. He did the same with Esme so she couldn't read anything into it.

Victoria needed to speak to someone about Jake. She sensed that he liked her as more than a friend and it made her nervous. Bella was his best friend so it seemed logical to speak to her. Bella confirmed that Jake was a good person and that she could do worse than have a friend like him.

To Jake's delight, Victoria accepted his overtures of friendship. Carefully, never overstepping the boundaries, he slowly gained her trust. It helped that he really came to love Robbie. He looked forward to spending time with Robbie nearly as much as his mother. His little face would light up when Jake came in the room. Victoria couldn't help her heart melting as she watched them together.

In late September, Jake invited Victoria over to the Quileutte reservation for a birthday party. Leaving Robbie with Esme, Victoria couldn't help feeling a little nervous. Without Robbie, it almost felt like a date.

"Hey, what's up?" asked Jake as they drove.

"Nothing. I'm just not used to parties," replied Victoria.

Jake reached out and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Relax, Vic. You've met a lot of the guys already. I'll look after you." Victoria couldn't help the zing of pleasure when he smiled like that.

As promised, Jake made sure she had a good time. The party was outdoors and a bonfire had been lit to keep them warm. Having expressed enough milk for Robbie for several feeds, Victoria allowed herself a few beers and was dancing with Jake when the music suddenly changed to a more romantic ballad. With her inhibitions lowered, Victoria threw her arms around Jake's neck and began swaying to the music.

Jake's heart nearly stopped at Victoria's actions. He knew she was buzzed but he couldn't stop himself from doing what he'd wanted to do since he'd first seen her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her close, sighing with pleasure as her soft curves pressed against his. He rested his face against her hair, breathing in her scent and tried desperately not to let her feel what her closeness was doing to his body.

When Victoria brushed her lips against his neck, Jake's arms tightened, pulling her flush against him. His heart was thudding in his chest and when Victoria looked at him, a dreamy smile on her lips, he had to kiss her.

Victoria felt like a bolt of lightning struck her when Jake's lips touched hers. They were soft and warm and brushed slowly over hers. She didn't know if it was the beer, the night or if she was just giving in to her suppressed desire, but she opened her mouth and deepened the kiss. With a small groan, Jake sought entry to her mouth, lost in the feel of her. He'd wanted this for so long. Oblivious to anyone else Jake's mouth caressed her, his tongue tasting her mouth, devouring her.

Victoria was lost in a haze of sensation. Her pulse was racing and she could feel herself getting wet. She'd never known a kiss could be like this. James had always been rough when they first got together and later, he didn't even bother. He just took what he wanted.

The memories caused Victoria to pull back with a gasp, completely sober now. What was she doing? Jake deserved better than her. "No, Jake!" she cried as she pulled away from him. Without thinking, she turned and walked away from the bonfire, trying to stem the tears.

"Victoria, wait!" Jake called out as he followed her. Taking hold of her hand, he stopped her and turned her around. They were away from the others, only the moonlight giving any light. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he pleaded.

"Why are _you_ sorry? I'm the one who threw myself at you," replied Victoria.

"No, I'm the one who went too far. I just couldn't help myself. You're so beautiful," admitted Jake.

Victoria looked at him, her eyes wet. "I'm not beautiful. I'm broken, damaged. I'm used goods. You're too good for someone like me."

Taking her face in his hand, Jake forced her to look at him. "Don't you dare say that about yourself," he replied angrily. "I don't care about your past. You're a terrific person and mother, a great friend and you're good enough for anyone. You deserve only the best, Victoria."

"You don't know anything Jake!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "You don't know how worthless I am."

"Then tell me," he pleaded. "Tell me. I'm your friend Victoria. You can trust me with anything and I'll never judge you. Please, don't shut me out."

As she listened to his plea, she found herself wanting to tell him everything. She wanted to let the pain out and share it with someone. She knew that he'd probably turn away when she told him about her past, but she figured it would probably hurt less now than if he turned her away after more time had passed. Like ripping off a bandaid, painful but quick.

"Can we go somewhere?" she asked. He suggested his house nearby and she followed him quietly, preparing herself for his rejection. She just shook her head when he asked if she wanted a drink, unable to stop her hands nervously wringing together. Jake wisely sat across from her, sensing she needed the distance.

"Victoria, before you say anything, I just want you to know that nothing you say will change how I feel about you."

"You don't know that. You don't know what my life has been like. The only good thing I have from 22 years of living is Robbie. I've done horrible things." Her voice trailed off as more tears fell. She couldn't look at Jake, couldn't bear to see the disgust in his face that would surely be there as she told him the unvarnished truth.

"Tell me Victoria. Let it out. You're safe with me, I promise."

Taking a deep breath, she began. "I don't remember my mother at all. She was a prostitute and a drug addict and she OD'd in while working one night. Apparently, I wasn't discovered for two days, hungry and in my own filth. I've been told I was underweight and neglected. I wasn't found straight away because I didn't cry. Babies that are ignored tend not to cry because it doesn't do any good."

Jake couldn't help the anger rising as he imagined the state she must have been in. His hands tightened into fists as he tried to keep his emotions from her.

"I was placed in foster care and I moved from house to house until I ran away with James when I was sixteen. A couple of families were really good but I had to leave because the mother was pregnant or they were moving state. As I got older and angrier, I also made it harder for them to want to keep me. I trashed a couple of houses, stole money and started taking drugs with the money. Depending on where I was at the time, I was either beaten or moved on."

"They beat you?" asked Jake incredulously.

Victoria snorted cynically. "They were the good ones. It was preferable to the alternatives."

"What alternatives?" Jake wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"One of the foster fathers was a paedophile and enjoyed nothing more than punishing me by sneaking into my room at night and molesting me. Other's preferred their own form of torture; leaving me in cold water in the bath all night in the middle of winter, for example."

Jake could feel the bile rising in his throat at the thought of her suffering. He wanted nothing more at this moment than to find these sick bastards and kill them, or at least maim them for life. He felt murderous. Taking deep breaths, he attempted to calm down for her sake. "Did...did you tell anyone these things were happening?"

"Yeah right. Like anyone would believe the girl that had a reputation like mine. They all thought I was an obnoxious bitch and a troublemaker. It was only when a couple of the other foster kids complained that the authorities took notice. Then it was off to another hell hole." She didn't say anything for a while as the memories became too painful.

Jake wanted to take her in his arms and promise that nothing would ever hurt her again but he knew she would flee from his touch at this moment. She was too raw from the memories.

"So anyway, I met James when I was sixteen. He seemed like a god to me. He was hot, older and seemed to want me too. He thought my troublemaking ways were funny and encouraged me. He even showed me new ways to break and enter in houses and shops. After only a couple of weeks, he told me he was leaving and that I could go with him. Of course I said yes. What was there to hang around for? I was almost certain to be arrested soon and no-one gave a damn if I was gone anyway. He encouraged my drug use and I was high when he took my virginity."

He didn't know if he really wanted to hear this part, but Jake kept quiet.

"Sometimes he hurt me when we had sex but I didn't know any better. All my experiences of a sexual type were painful. My foster father used to hurt me, even if he never actually raped me. James got rougher over the weeks but I was too 'in love' with him to protest. I figured that's what it's like for everyone. I didn't have any girlfriends to compare notes with or anything. A few months later he hit me for the first time. He was sorry and blamed it on the drugs. Then it got worse and worse. He broke my jaw once."

Jake stood up then, unable to contain his anger. Victoria stopped talking but still didn't look at him. "It's okay. I just need to move around a bit," he explained.

Eventually she continued. "We moved around all the time and his drug habit got worse. We needed the money so he broke into houses, held up stores, mugged people; anything to get money. It wasn't enough so he used...me." She stopped, drawing deep breaths, her limbs shaking.

Knowing what was coming, Jake wanted to urge her to stop, to not put herself through it again but talking seemed cathartic to her in a way. "What happened?"

"He... he...made me... prostitute...myself," she whispered. Jake wanted to cry at the pain in those few words. "He would sell me to whoever would pay for me. When I protested, he bashed me. Even when I did what he wanted, he still bashed me. I hated it. I hated their hot, sweaty hands on me. Their breathing on me. The worst was when James watched. He charged extra for that." Taking a peek at Jacob's face, she saw anger and assumed it was at her. She wasn't surprised. The memories disgusted her too.

"I'm getting a drink. Do you want anything?" he rasped. Victoria nodded, taking a long swallow of the beer he gave her.

"When I fell pregnant the first time, he beat me so badly that I lost it. I never really knew who the father was. It could have been any of those men. After that I didn't care what happened to me. I just wanted to die. If James told me to mug an old man, I did it. If he wanted me to have sex with a couple of perverts, I did it. I became the slut all those foster parents had assumed me to be."

"I got pregnant again and something happened. I had something to live for again. I refused to have sex with strangers any more. I threatened to go to the cops if he made me. I was bluffing, but it worked. I kept the pregnancy secret for as long as possible. When he found out he went to bash me but I fought back. I grabbed a kitchen knife and threatened to kill him. I would have done it too. I wasn't going to lose this baby. He believed me and let it go. He still bashed me, trying to make me lose it but it didn't happen. I was in survival mode. Then we ended up in Forks and you know the rest. I will love the Cullens forever for what they did for me. I didn't know people like them existed. I don't deserve their kindness but I'll accept it for Robbie's sake. I want him to have what I didn't."

"Yes, they are wonderful people. But you're wrong. You do deserve their kindness. You deserve good things to happen now. You deserve...love," said Jake softly.

Victoria shook her head. "No...I don't. Didn't you hear what I just told you? I robbed, lied, took drugs, prostituted myself. I'm used goods. You should be disgusted by me," she cried, covering her face with her hands as she began to sob.

He couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and went to her side, wrapping his arms around her, trying to comfort her. She flinched slightly but didn't protest, too lost in her sorrow. Unconsciously, he rocked her while she cried, whispering soothing words. It took almost ten minutes before she calmed down. When she realised his arms were around her, she tried to pull away but Jake wouldn't let her.

"Stay, baby. It's okay, I just want to hold you," he soothed. When he felt she was calm enough he spoke. "Victoria, I want you to know that nothing, absolutely nothing, you've told me makes me think any differently of you. You could never disgust me. You weren't responsible for what happened to you. Any of it. You were the victim in all this. That you survived all that and still be the person you are, is remarkable and a credit to you."

"Jake, I don't know how many men I've slept with. How can you want to be near me when you know that?"

"You were forced to do that," replied Jake. "You were beaten up and beaten down. You couldn't fight back. You had no family, no support. No one could have withstood the type of coercion he used. But you stood up to him for the sake of your baby. You were determined to do the best for him and that proves that you're a good person. You could have stayed and put up with it, endangering Robbie but you finally took the chance."

"Only because the Bella and Edward urged me to get help," interrupted Victoria.

"Yes, and you could have refused their help, but you didn't. I'm sorry, more sorry than I can say, for all the horrible things you've been through. If I could wipe it all away, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Victoria looked into his dark eyes, astonished again at how beautiful he was. "Why? I know you're my friend but..."

"Victoria, I'm not going to lie to you. I want to be more than just your friend. I want to be your friend, lover, boyfriend, partner. I want it all with you." He couldn't help but notice the way she shrunk back slightly at his words and his heart sank but he was determined to be whatever she needed him to be and if it was only as a friend, then that would have to be enough, no matter how much he longed for more.

"But more than anything, I want you to know that I'll always be here for you. If you can only ever see me as a friend, then I'll accept that. I just want to be in your life, in Robbie's life, in any way I can."

Pulling away from his arms, Victoria instantly felt colder, lonelier. She looked at him with her eyes red and puffy from her tears. "I…I…don't know if I can give you more. I want to." Jake's heart leapt again before her next words. "I do. But I don't…know…if I'll ever trust a man again. After all those men…"

Jake took her hand in his. "It's not always like that. I want to show you how it should be between a man and a woman. How special it can be between two people who care about each other." He could see the doubt in her eyes.

"I want what the Cullen's have, but I'm terrified. I can't hurt like that again. For Robbie's sake."

"Victoria, whatever happens between us I will promise you one thing." Victoria looked into his eyes, so earnest and sincere. "I will never, ever hurt you intentionally. I have never, and would never, raise my hand to a woman and certainly not you. I will always be your friend and take care of you and Robbie, in whatever way you want. I will help you battle your demons and support you, whatever you do with your life. I hope, I pray, that one day you'll see your own worth and believe that we could be incredible together, but I won't push. If you ever feel you're ready for more than friendship, I'll be waiting. I'll wait forever, Victoria."

The tears streamed down Victoria's face and she felt a piece of her broken and battered soul repair itself silently. Without even realising it, she wrapped her arms around Jake and felt his go around her, holding her tightly. She felt so safe in his arms and a part of her knew that she could trust him, but a larger part was still too afraid.

They sat like that for ages and Jake sensed when Victoria fell asleep. His hands had been gently rubbing her back, feeling the tension slowly seep out of her. He looked down and saw her face, softer in sleep, the memories gone for now. He debated whether to wake her and take her home but decided to let her sleep.

Carefully, he picked her up and carried her to his bedroom and placed her on the bed. She didn't wake when he took off her shoes or turned down the covers. Jake climbed in the bed and pulled her close, wrapping his arms protectively around her waist. This might be the only time he'll ever have her in his bed and he wanted to stay awake and savour the experience but he too succumbed to sleep.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Things changed between them after that night.

Victoria couldn't help seeing Jake as a desirable man now, instead of just a platonic friend. She'd been attracted to him before, but after that kiss and waking up wrapped in his arms in his bed the following morning, the feeling was intensified to the point where she began having erotic dreams about him. Knowing he wanted the same thing made it worse.

They spent all their free time together now, along with Robbie. Watching him with her baby, made her want him even more. The first time he'd taken his shirt off to cut some wood, she'd been unable to stop the gasp leaving her lips. He was the hottest guy she'd ever laid eyes on. He was like a sculpture, except he was warm flesh and blood. Her fingers itched to trace each of the indentations on his chest and abdomen. Her mouth actually watered at the thought of running her tongue over every inch. Not even James, at the very beginning, had this effect on her. His head turned as she ogled him and she couldn't help blushing at the tiny knowing smirk on his face. And she never blushed.

True to his word, he didn't push for more than she was prepared to give. Yet, she became more and more aware of every touch, every look he gave her. Her skin would tingle when it touched his and tremble when he placed his arm around her shoulders. She would find herself daydreaming about his lips, remembering how they felt against hers. She couldn't help breathing in his clean, masculine scent when he kissed her cheek. Her pulse would race and she found breathing difficult when he was close.

Talking with Esme helped. Esme encouraged her to confide in her and that no subject was off limits. Needing to understand these feelings, Victoria worked up the courage to ask Esme about what she considered a normal sexual relationship to be. Esme knew about her past and understood what Victoria was asking.

"What you know sex to be is just a travesty of the act. It really shouldn't even be called that. I wish you never had to experience that. But between two people that care about each other, sex can be the most wonderful experience you'll ever have. With the right person, you can experience pleasure that's out of this world."

"Is that what it's like for you and Carlisle?" asked Victoria, already knowing the answer.

Esme smiled coyly. "Yes. When Carlisle and I are together, I forget about everything else. But it's not just about the pleasure; it's about the closeness we feel, the connection. It provides the anchor that holds us steady even when things around us are going wrong. And I would like nothing more than to have you experience that with someone." Taking Victoria's hand in hers, Esme continued. "I know that Jacob would like to be that person for you. I see how he looks at you, the devotion in his eyes."

Victoria nodded, her eyes damp. "I'm scared, Esme."

Taking her in her arms, Esme gently rocked her. It felt like a mother's embrace. "I know, dear. How could you not be? But do you want to be a prisoner to James for the rest of your life? Or do you want to experience a wonderful new life for you and Robbie? James hurt you enough, don't let his memory keep hurting you. You won't find a better man than Jake to help you battle those memories. Give him a chance. Give yourself a chance. I know it won't be easy, but it will be so worth it. I want all my children to be happy, and I consider you one of my children now."

Victoria hugged Esme. "I love you, Esme."

"I love you too, dear. I'll be here every step of the way if that's what you need. We all will be."

Esme's words kept running through her mind over the next few weeks. She decided to start taking baby steps. She and Jake were watching a movie together one night while Esme and Carlisle were out. She was leaning against Jake and could feel the warmth radiating from him. She looked at his profile, admiring his strength and felt the urge to kiss him, to feel those lips again. Before she could chicken out, she reached up and took his chin in her hand, turning his face towards hers. She could see the mixture of confusion and desire in his eyes before pulling his face down to hers.

It was like a jolt of electricity passed through her as their lips met. Jake just rubbed his lips against hers, letting her set the pace. Victoria soon needed more and pressed their mouths tighter, opening her lips and tentatively running her tongue over his bottom lip. She felt more than heard his groan of approval, and all thought fled when his tongue touched hers. The kiss went on and on, and her body was heavy with desire.

_So this is what a real kiss is like_, she thought. She decided she really, really liked it. He tasted of mint, cola and Jake. His hands were kneading her shoulders as she threaded hers through his short, black hair.

Eventually they pulled apart, both breathless from the heady rush. Jake rested his forehead against hers. "Victoria?"

She knew what he was asking. He didn't pull his arm from around her as she sat back and took hold of his free hand. "Jake, I...want to be more...than your...friend." His smile was beautiful. "I'm still scared, but I want to...try."

"I'm so happy, Victoria. I know you're scared, but we can go slow. You can set the pace. I promise I won't push. You can stop whenever you want. I'll do anything for you, you know that."

Victoria nodded. "Can...can we kiss...some more? I really like...kissing you," she asked shyly.

Jakes face broke out in a delighted grin. "Anytime you want to kiss me, just ask. I really, really like kissing you too."

With a little giggle, she launched herself at him and they spent the next half hour kissing. As much as he longed to, Jake didn't touch her anywhere intimate but he was satisfied with kissing for now. He'd take care of his massive erection when he went home.

That night seemed to release the floodgates in Victoria's mind. She went on the pill, already having been given a clean bill of health from Edward. In the weeks leading to Christmas, things got more and more heated between them. Jake thought he was going to jizz in his pants the first time she asked him to touch her breasts. He blissfully massaged them, loving her excited pants on his neck as she sucked on his skin.

They progressed to him taking her top and bra off and actually tasting her. Victoria had never experienced the pleasure she got from him sucking on her nipples. She couldn't help grinding on him, feeling his hardness against her.

He was so loving and careful with her and always stopped when she experienced a bout of panic, however hard it must have been for him.

A week before Christmas, Victoria had an epiphany. Jake was over, as usual and after enjoying a long, hot hello kiss, he picked up Robbie, swung him around before kissing his cheek and holding him close. As she watched, Jake closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek on the baby's head, a smile on his face. In that instant, Victoria knew that she was in love with Jake. Really in love. This feeling was stronger, deeper and more powerful than any she'd ever felt. Every other consideration flew out the window. She loved him and wanted him in her life forever. She'd be lost without him.

Jake opened his eyes and saw the look on her face. There was surprise and wonder, but most importantly, he saw the love in her eyes. He felt like crying with joy but he didn't say anything. When she was ready to tell him, she would. She'd already come so far.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was Christmas Eve and they were spending it together at his house. Jake was making dinner and had set the table up for a romantic dinner for two. They were having lunch with the Cullens the following day so this was a chance to spend some time alone.

As they drove back to his place, Victoria took his hand in hers and smiled shyly up at him. Jake lifted her hand and kissed the back of it and placed their entwined hands on his lap. Victoria leaned back and sighed blissfully. Esme had assured her that Robbie would be fine if she wanted to stay over, giving her a cheeky wink. Victoria advised her that she would probably be taking her up on the offer.

Jake had gone all out with dinner, admitting that dessert had been supplied by Bella, who had donated the cheesecake for what she considered a good cause. The wine was making them feel mellow and with the soft music in the background it was scene ripe for seduction. If it was someone other than Jake, she may have thought that was his motive, but she knew better. Jake was honourable above all else. He just wanted to make the night special for her. She couldn't love him more for it.

After dinner, they sat on his couch, kissing gently for a while. Victoria loved kissing. She could happily do it all day, but only with Jake. He was so good at it. He could give lessons although she'd kick any girl's ass if they so much as tried it. Jake was hers. And it was time to let him know.

"Jake?"

"Hmm?" he replied, kissing the nape of neck, making her moan softly as his tongue licked the delicate skin.

Pulling back, she took his face in her hands and looked deeply into his black ones. "Jake, I need to tell you something."

"What is it, baby?"

Victoria thrilled to hear the endearment. "Jake, I want you. All of you. I want to make love with you. Tonight. I've never 'made love' before and I want tonight to be my first time."

He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. He needed to keep control of himself now. "Are you sure? I didn't do all this in order to seduce you."

"I know and yes, I'm sure. You are the most wonderful, beautiful man I've ever known and even though I don't really deserve you, I want to be with you more than anything I've ever wanted."

With that, Jake scooped her up into his arms and carried her to his bedroom, their lips never leaving the other's except to draw breath. He followed as he laid her gently on his bed, pressing his body against hers, letting her know how much he wanted her too.

"I'm going to worship you tonight. I'm going to wipe out every bad memory you ever had and I'm going to love you the way you should always be loved. Until my face is the only one you'll ever associate with making love."

As he talked, his hands began roaming over her body, feeling every curve and placing kisses on every inch of bare skin he could find. Looking into her eyes, he slowly began unbuttoning her blouse, kissing newly revealed flesh. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly and he could almost hear her heart thumping in excitement.

Groaning as his lips encountered the material of her bra, he kept going down until each button was undone. He didn't pull open the blouse yet, instead he delicately traced a finger up and down the strip of exposed skin, from her stomach to her throat and followed it once again with his tongue.

Victoria felt every nerve ending leap in response to his actions and she felt like her heart was going to burst out of her skin and he hadn't even exposed her breasts yet. Kissing her lips again, his hand pulled apart the material, so that her black, lace-covered bra was visible. She knew that Jake loved her breasts, which were bigger now than before she had Robbie.

Jake sucked in his breath as she was revealed to him. He'd seen her breasts before, had even tasted them, but it was different tonight. Tonight, neither was going to stop until they were sated.

"You're so beautiful, baby," he whispered reverently. "So pale, like alabaster. So soft." His finger traced over the edge of her bra cup, teasing her.

"Touch me," she pleaded, her sex heavy and dripping with desire.

Unsnapping the front clasp, he pushed the cups back, baring her glorious breasts. Smooth and pale, they were topped by plump, pale pink nipples. Jake was so damned hard it hurt. His thumbs gently flicked the peaks, feeling them get even tighter. He needed to taste them like he needed air. Massaging one, he traced the other with his tongue before blowing on it then taking it in his mouth and sucking on it.

"Oh god, that's good," she gasped, grabbing his hair and anchoring him to her chest.

For several minutes, Jake just feasted on her, moving between each peak, nibbling and suckling. Victoria was unconsciously grinding her hips, seeking relief for the ache between her legs.

Eventually, Jake let her over-sensitised nipples go and began kissing and licking all the way down her abdomen until he came to the button of her jeans. Before undoing it, he sat up and took off his shirt and pants, remaining only in his briefs which were straining at the seams from his massive erection.

Victoria couldn't help licking her lips as she watched him. He was beyond gorgeous. He was perfection. His smooth, tanned skin looked good enough to eat. Unable to resist, her hands moved to his broad shoulders, kneading the skin before moving down over his chest. Her fingers flicked his nipples and she heard his soft moan. Down went her fingers, tracing each indentation, unconsciously teasing him as she kept licking her lips when she reached his fly.

Pulling her hands away with a gentle smile, Jake lay on top of her, their skins melding. They both sighed in relief at the sensation and Jake kissed her ravenously, his fingers skimming the sides of her breasts. He reached her pants and pulled down the zip and snaked his hand inside. He ran his finger over the edges of her panties, drawing gasping breaths from her.

"You're really sure about this?" he asked one more time.

Victoria nodded. "Yes, damn it! I need you."

Jake couldn't help the chuckle that left him at her desperation. He felt about ten feet tall knowing he'd made her like this and they weren't even half way there yet. Sitting back on his haunches, he pulled her jeans down and off, leaving her lying there in only her black lace panties.

"Fuck, you're hot," he burst out. He was going to have to exercise all his control tonight.

"So are you," she giggled, amazed. She'd never giggled during sex before. Then again, she'd never had reason to.

His lips skimmed her legs, amazed at the softness of her skin. He moved up and kissed each hip before nuzzling her sex. Her underwear was dripping wet. _He'd done this to her, _he thought proudly.

Looking up at her with desire-glazed eyes, he pulled down her panties, revealing all of her. He thought he'd died and gone to heaven. He stared in awe as he opened her legs. Her glistening delicate, pink pussy was framed by a small strip of strawberry blonde hair.

"Oh baby, you're perfection," he breathed. "I need to taste you more than I need air."

Victoria bit her lip nervously. James had hated doing that so she didn't have much experience with this part of sex. But Jake was looking at her like she was his very own candy machine and she felt another gush of wetness.

Her nod was all the invitation Jake needed before he dove down, breathing in her scent. Spreading her lips with his fingers, he delicately ran his tongue from one end to the other.

"Oh my god!" cried out Victoria. When he did it again and again, she became delirious with pleasure. She couldn't help the moans that left her mouth as he did incredible things to her body.

Jake felt like he could happily stay here for the rest of his life, feasting on her. She tasted like ambrosia and licked up every drop of moisture. He had to hold her hips down as she began thrashing around. She yelped when he thrust his tongue into her, feeling her heat. Then he moved up and sucked her nub into his mouth, while he inserted a couple of fingers into her.

"Fuck! Oh god!" she cried out, her fingers digging into his scalp. "I'm gonna come, Jake."

He took his mouth off her just long enough to urge her. "Do it, baby. Come for me. Let me show you how a real man loves his woman." He returned to his welcome task.

Victoria was moaning continuously now, lost in a haze of pleasure. Pleasure she hadn't known existed. When he gently bit her clit while sucking it, Victoria lost it.

"_Oooohhhhh!_" she yelled out, her hips thrusting into his mouth as wave after wave of intense pleasure swept through her body. She didn't even realise that she was squeezing his head with her thighs.

Jake stroked her through her orgasm, ecstatic that he had made her lose control. Her body slowly came down from its high and her thighs relaxed their hold. Victoria lay back, stunned. All these years, this was what she'd been missing. She honestly had not realised her body was capable of that much feeling and pleasure.

Moving up her body, Jake lay on top of her, his eyes shining. Victoria looked at him dazedly.

"I didn't know," she whispered breathlessly.

"It's only the beginning," he replied, kissing her hungrily.

Despite just experiencing her first real orgasm moments before, Jake's kiss and hands soon had her ready for more. This time though, she wanted him inside her. She wanted to experience an orgasm with his body consuming her. Her hands moved down and began pulling on his briefs. Jake's lips left hers and he moved to help her.

Victoria sucked in her breath as he was revealed to her. He was big. Deliciously big and hard. She could see his cock pulse with excitement.

"It's beautiful." She never thought she would ever think of a penis as beautiful, but Jake's was. And his was going to give her pleasure, not pain and humiliation like she had become used to.

Jake grinned. "It's all for you. You've made me this hard. God, I want to be inside you."

"Then do it. I want to feel you moving in me."

Groaning, Jake positioned himself over her, his tip just touch her burning core. Leaning on his elbows, he looked down at her face, a part of him unable to believe they were really here

"I love you," he breathed as he gently inserted himself into her.

Victoria gasped, at his words and at the incredible sensations he was giving her as he filled her. When he was fully inside her, he stopped. They both savoured the pleasure of their joining. Victoria felt like a lifetime's loneliness was wiped away.

Slowly at first, Jake began moving inside her and soon they were incoherent with pleasure as their bodies moved as if they had been doing this their whole life.

"Baby, oh baby. You feel amazing," he ground out as his hips pistoned in and out of her.

"Oh...god. Oh god. Harder. Please," she replied breathlessly. Her fingers were digging into his butt, wanting him as deep inside as possible. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and it was hard to tell where she ended and he began.

"Baby, are you close?"

She nodded. She could feel the coiled tension originating from where they were joined winding tighter and tighter.

Jake felt like he was going to explode any second. He didn't know how he lasted this long. She just felt so fucking good. Her skin was flushed and had a slight sheen of sweat. Her lips were parted as she gasped with each thrust. He'd never forget this night as long as he lived.

Because he couldn't help it, he took her mouth with his, his tongue mimicking what his body was doing to her. When he pulled back, the words burst out again.

"I love you. So damned much."

For a second they seemed suspended in time; then the coil snapped. Victoria threw her head back as she screamed in pleasure as her orgasm exploded through her. This one was even more intense than before, and she was struggling for breath as spasms wracked her body.

He felt the instant her body let go. He felt her inner walls clamp down on his cock, before rhythmically squeezing. It was too much and Jake cried out as he spilled himself into her, thrusting manically as he tried to extract every ounce of pleasure he could.

Not wanting to squash her, he rolled them to the side, still joined. Victoria buried her face in his neck, unable to hold back the tears.

Jake tilted her head up, alarmed. "Baby! Did I hurt you? Oh god, I didn't mean to hurt you." He became frantic.

Victoria shook her head, wanting him to calm down. "No Jake. No, you didn't hurt me. Not at all. I just never expected...that. It was so much...more." She looked at him. "It just came to me that I could have gone my whole life and never experienced something so...amazing and it made me cry." Leaning up, she kissed him softly. "Thank you Jake. Thank you for taking a chance on me. For not giving up on me."

"I'd never give up on you, baby. I love you," he replied, stroking her cheek.

She smiled back at him. "I know I've got a long way to go before I'm whole again, but I trust you and I know you'll stand by me."

Jake nodded. "Always. Together, we can overcome anything."

Victoria couldn't help the yawn that left her. Jake groaned as he pulled out of her. It wouldn't be long before he wanted her again but for now she needed sleep.

"Come on baby, let's get some sleep. We've got the rest of our lives to work everything out."

With his body curled around hers, Victoria felt complete. Nothing could hurt her while in his arms. Her eyes drooped with tiredness but she remembered that she never told him that she loved him, but somehow, she guessed he already knew. When she awoke, she would tell him.

They had the rest of their lives, after all.

**A/N: Well, that's all folks! The very last chapter. Once again, thank you so much to everyone who's read, reviewed, alerted or favourited my story. It's meant the world to me. **

**See you all again soon.**

**Cecilia**


End file.
